The Death and Life of Erza Scarlet
by VOGoshinki
Summary: Written by Greatkingrat88. At the tower of heaven, Erza died- only to find that death is only the beginning. In the soul society, she must find her path as a shinigami, making new friends and enemies alike. What does this one death change? More than one would think.
1. Death is a new begining

**Fairy Tail is property of Hiro Mashima and BLEACH is property of Tite Kubo. **

**A bit of information first. This story is a originally written by Greatkingrat88. He's a good friend of mine and I personally asked him to write this for me. I cant write a damn thing to save my life, but he's rather talented. However, since he didn't feel comfortable publishing this under his own profile, I decided to upload it to mine. I _DO_ have permission to do this, I asked him and he said it was fine.**

**That said, the plot and the story ideas are mine. I telll him to just write what I want in it, with his own personal style.**

**With that said, sit back, relax, and enjoy.**

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><p>This is a story about Erza Scarlet. It isn't the most ambitious of stories, nor is it the deepest, subtlest or most romantic. It is simply the modest tale of a hero, whose deeds were anything but modest, for in the end, they changed a whole world. Not dramatically, but gears were shifted- but I am getting ahead of myself. Let us return instead to the beginning, which is generally agreed to be a good place to start.<p>

Natsu Dragneel carried Erza's limp body, walking out of the ocean. The tower of heaven had collapsed, and Jellal Fernandes' plans had been thwarted. His minions- Erza's childhood friends- would live on. The world would keep going, untainted by his dark magic. Zeref would not resurrect. Fairy Tail, and all its fellow guilds, would keep living, the end of the world as they knew it averted.

But Erza wouldn't.

It was the strangest thing, Erza thought- she could see herself, hovering above her own body. Natsu had the most tragic expression on his face, and all she wanted to do was to tell him she was fine, she was right there, he didn't have to worry…

But nothing she did, nothing she said, could reach the young man. Her body wasn't replying; her spirit remained unseen. There was a chain hanging from her chest, oddly enough, and she could fly- and moreover, her power, all of her might and magic, was gone.

She saw Natsu drop to his knees, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. She could see Lucy hurrying to his side, trying her best to console him. He seemed inconsolable, and there was something so _wrong_ about that- Natsu was always so cheerful, so happy; he shouldn't cry.

One by one, her body, cradled by Natsu as it grew colder and colder, was joined by the rest- by Gray, by Juvia, Happy, all of her childhood friends. She wanted to tell them she was right there, that everything was all right- but everything wasn't all right at all, she could tell that much even in her state.

With time Erza would become known as one of the greatest heroes Fairy Tail had ever known. In recognition of her prowess, skill and renown, she was posthumously named one of the Ten Wizard Saints, the highest title a mage could be given in Fiore. Her guild would dedicate one day every year to her memory, a tradition lasting beyond even their deaths. Erza Scarlet had left a mark on the world so much greater than the small slave girl she had once been could have possibly imagined.

Erza herself, of course, would never see any of this, because three days after her death, a man in black, baggy clothes put the hilt of his sword to her forehead, and then everything went black. In one short instance she felt herself ascending, and it panicked her to realize she was losing her memories of her dear friends- but the panic soon passed, as did the soul of Erza Scarlet.

Erza slowly opened her eyes. Slowly, she grabbed at her chest, and found that there was no chain there. Quickly, she sat up. Did this mean she was alive? Quickly, she looked around. Well, this wasn't home- she was sitting in a forest, open with plenty of space between its green, leafy trees. To her left, she could see a small stream; to her right, more forest. Slowly, she stood up.

"Where am I?" She mumbled. She nearly fell over, stumbling- she felt sick, as if she was just coming out of a fever. She put her hand against the stem of a tree, waiting for it to pass, her head hanging, looking into the ground. What- what had happened just now?

_"Time to pass on, girl,"_

It… it had been some sort of person in black. And she hadn't wanted to go- her friends still needed her. And then…

_"No!"_ she cried. _"No, I can't leave! You can't make me!"_ She lashed out against the man in black, trying to push him away- but her power was almost all gone. She was so weak…

Gently but firmly, the man took her by the arm. _"You're a strong one. You'll be all right."_

And then, he had gently put the hilt of his sword against her forehead, and then… this.

Slowly, she raised her head again. This… was the afterlife? Erza had never had much of any religion- she hadn't been raised into one; Fairy Tail wasn't exactly a pious guild- and she herself had been too busy with real life stuff, like work, friends, just_ life_ to want to go soul searching. But she had known _about_ religion, and this didn't match anything she knew. Which, admittedly, wasn't much- but she would have expected fluffy clouds and happiness and bliss, not just… a forest.

Oh, damn- _Fairy Tail_. That… what was that? Suddenly, she tried to take all she could about it in, but like a person waking from a dream, the memories slipped away- like they were dreams and only dreams. Names- Lucy, Natsu, Wendy, Jellal, Makarov- names, so many names, vanishing from her memory, and she felt like she could cry. Focusing as much as she could, she tried burning their faces into her memory- she had come from Fairy Tail, whatever Fairy Tail was, and… there had been a young man with fiery red hair, a young woman with blond hair, a young girl with black hair and an innocent look, talking cats, a really old man… oh, and there were more, but she couldn't_ remember_

Erza shook her head, standing up. The feeling of nausea had passed, only to be replaced by a deep sense of loss- she had been lost to some people important to her, and she in turn had lost them. Almost.

But Erza Scarlet- that was her name, she remembered that much- wasn't one to dwell. Looking forward, she decided that since she was apparently dead, but quite fit otherwise, there was no point in sitting down and crying. She had lost her precious people- so she would just have to find them again. It would be a long term goal.

With that decided, she looked around. Civilization was nowhere in sight, and she had no idea where she was. Well, that just meant there was another problem that needed solving.

Another problem, she decided, was what she was wearing. She had hoped she would have passed on with what she wore when she died- armour, well-made clothes- but what she actually wore looked more like… rags. A singular piece of cloth, of indeterminate colour, which barely covered what modesty demanded. Not that Erza was a stickler for modesty, but it was… less than optimal. She had always had nice forms ever since she hit her upper teens, but right now, that wasn't an asset.

Sighing, she began walking further into the forest. She had no idea where to go, or where she was, but doing something was always better than doing nothing. After a small while, she stopped by a small stream, deciding that a drink of water might do her good. Did she even need to, now that she was dead? No matter. Slowly, Erza stepped into the water. It was a shallow stream, the water stopping just below her knees. Bending over, Erza cupped her hands, and scooped up some water.

And then, right as she was drinking, she heard it. A whistle. It was a very particular kind of whistle- not just a merry tune, but the low, elaborate, drawn out wolf whistle of a man. She'd heard it back when she was alive, she was sure- and this was the same. Slowly, she turned around. And there, just fifteen or so yards away, stood three men, grinning with the typical kind of leer that a certain kind of men all seemed to have. They all wore worn-down clothes, but they had colour, mainly blue- quite the difference between her own rags.

"Looks like we got ourselves a new arrival," one of them said as Erza stepped out of the water, viewing them with suspicion, "and a real cutie at that."

"Who are you?" Erza asked.

"The boss'll be real happy about this." Another of the men said, ignoring her. "He could use a tumble by now."

"So could we." The first one said.

"Excuse me?" Erza said incredulously.

"Allow me." The man in front said, apparently the one in charge. "You're dead. So're we. This is the afterlife- the Soul Society. Now, these particular lands belong to boss Hoku. Anyone new's gotta answer to him. So why don't you come with us, and we'll… give you the full explanation, eh?"

"How about _no_?"

"Oh, this one's got fire!" The second man said, chuckling. "Lemme get this one straight: Our boss owns this place. We work for him. That means we own _you_." He stepped forward, extending a hand towards her. "So don't be a bitch about it. We're just going to have some fun-"

And as he tried to grab her, Erza reached out, grabbing his arm first, and then she _twisted_, and before she knew how it even happened, the man was on the ground, screaming with pain.

"My fuckin' arm!" He cried. "She broke my fuckin' arm!"

"That's it." The lead man said coldly, taking out a whip. "The hard way it is, eh?" He extended it, swinging the whip around, lashing it forward. It wrapped around her neck, hard- she couldn't breather.

But the thing about a weapon like this, she realized, was that if you kept your footing and just pulled, it could just as easily be turned around.

So she grabbed the whip, digging her feet into the ground, and ipulled/i, and suddenly the man was stumbling forward, having lost his footing. Reacting quickly, she hopped forward, slamming a fist into his solar plexus- then again, for good measure. He didn't lose his footing, although he probably wished he had, because she wasn't letting up. Quickly, she grabbed him by the neck, and there was power about her rising, rising as she slammed her fist into his jaw. This time, he dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes, leaving only one man with a look on his face like he'd just seen a ghost.

Or something of the like.

Erza began removing the whip, which was still coiled around her neck. Her blood was pumping; she felt furious- but at the same time, curious and a little bit confused. She had beaten down those two men on pure instinct, and it had been easy. She knew how to do this. In life, she had to have been a fighter of some sort. That was one clue.

And what was this power about her? She could feel it radiating, pulsing…

"P-please!" The third man begged, now on his knees. "I'll do anything! Just don't- don't kill me-"

"I don't kill." Erza said. "But…" She stopped, and an idea came to her. "Why don't we trade clothes?"

"Got it!"

One trade later, Erza wore a kimono, much roomier and more comfortable, coloured a light blue. Worn, but quite decent. Normally, she would feel bad about forcing others to give up their clothes, but given what they had tried to do, there was little sympathy to be had.

"Now, I want to know where I am." She said.

"Information! Sure!" The man nodded enthusiastically. "Anything you want, you got it!"

"You can start with where I am, where I can find people, and… well, anything about this place, really."

So the all too eager informant began talking, and Erza listened. This place really was the afterlife- 'Soul Society', but apparently nobody knew if there was any god involved. And apparently it was a lot like real life, except with more poverty, lawlessness and cruelty. So much for bliss.

And more importantly, this was the forty-sixth district, which was ruled by some warlord, who ruled through a number of underbosses too. There was a village nearby, too- always a something.

And most interesting of all, what she had felt surging was called "reiatsu"- spiritual power. Some had very little or none at all, and apparently she had plenty, or so that man said.

And at the heart of this Soul Society were the strongest, the shinigami, working under the "Gotei Juusantai". It was them who passed unwilling souls on to the afterlife, and it was they who fought the monsters- "hollows". She had asked what a hollow was, and the man had shuddered- the most she got was that they wore white masks and ate people. Which was plenty, to be honest.

Finally, she decided that that was enough information. After getting some directions from the terrified thug, she headed down the path, towards the village.

The village itself wasn't too hard to find; just a few miles worth of walking. She found herself wishing she had shoes, but wishes were pointless- she had what she had, which was essentially nothing but worn clothes.

The village, when she came up to it, was better than what she had expected. There were fields around it, rife with green plants- whoever lived here probably farmed, it seems. And inside the village, she could see booths, vendors- mainly they seemed to sell water, but some sold food, or even tools. Humanity seemed to be mostly the same even in death. It was reassuring, somehow, to know that life went on. In a manner of speaking.

She walked up the main street of the village, looking around as she trod down the dirt road. There were people everywhere- children playing, adults going about their business. It was bizarre how much like life death was, but here it was. But to focus on herself, what to do next- she needed a place to stay. She was, she realized, homeless, and that was no way to spend your afterlife. She looked around again, this time looking for somebody who might know his (or her) way around this village. Settling for a man peddling vegetables of some sort, she walked up to him in quick stride.

"Excuse me-" She began, but the man- who looked middle aged, and a little better dressed than most- recoiled.

"I- I already paid you people off!" He said, looking uneasy. "I don't got anymore for you, not till next week."

Erza blinked. "What?"

"You got ell your boss I'm workin' hard to pay my share, all right? I don't want no trouble."

Erza felt confused, but then it dawned on her: the clothes. She had taken hers off a gang member of some sort, and…

"I'm not one of them." She assured him. "Whoever 'them' are. I got this off some man who tried something on me he shouldn't have."

The man looked baffled. "You- you stole off one of the blue lizards gang?"

"Well, not stole." Erza objected. "He gave it to me after I beat his three friends up."

"You…" the man began, sounding shocked, "you _beat up_ three gangers on your own. Unarmed."

"Yes."

He shook his head. "Either you're lying to me, or this is horrible news for all of us. They don't take kindly to being humiliated, and if it happened close to us…"

"They were pretty weak, though." She clenched her fist, feeling for the power inside her. "I could probably take them if they came again."

"Yeah, maybe." The man mumbled. "But between you and me, wearing those colours'll make people think you're one of those thugs. If I were you, I'd keep low, and get some new clothes."

Erza frowned. This was no good- if those people came back and wound up hurting the rest of the village, it would be her fault. "Where should I go? I don't really have a change of clothes, or any money."

"Fresh arrival, are you?" He shook his head, mumbling to himself. "Head to that house down the street," he pointed his finger towards a run-down house, with a flaking coat of white paint. "and go talk to old man Getsu. He'll point you in the right direction."

"Thanks." She said, but the trader seemed to be trying hard not to notice her. Taking a hint, she headed down towards the house. It really looked rather worn down- empty windows, door hanging off one hinge, and enough paint coming off that the general grey of the wood underneath it was quite visible. Cautiously, she walked in. It was no less of a shanty in there- the roof was low, she could see a broken iron pipe lying on the floor, and the floorboard had cracks, but she had seen worse.

"Hello?" She said, in general to whoever might be in there. "Hello?" She said again, a little louder. There didn't seem to be anyone around.

But appearances were, as they often are, deceiving.

"Who is it?" Came the voice of on old man, frail and quiet. "I ain't got time for this nonsense. Who is it?"

"Uhm, hello." Erza said, taking a good look at the man as she turned around to face him. He wore a simple kimono, which had probable been white once upon a time, but at this point looked more like dirt mixed with textile. He had a short white beard, and a bald head, and more wrinkles than… well, something very wrinkly; she couldn't think of a proper metaphor. "I just came here today. I uh, just died recently, and then I came to this village and this man pointed me here…" she trailed off.

The man nodded. "New arrival, is it? I'm too kind for my own good- but I'll let you stay here if you can provide for yourself. Got any skills, girl?"

"It's Erza. Erza Scarlet."

"And I am just Getsu." He nodded. "So what can you do?"

"Well…" She hadn't had much of an education, or to her recollection learned any profession. "I'm good at punching things. I beat up some thugs earlier today, and it was pretty easy."

The old man- Getsu- gave her a scrutinizing look. "Take a seat, girl. I want to have a close look at you."

Obliging, Erza sat down on the floor. Getsu wasn't exactly tall, she realized- the roof, which was low for her, seemed to be plenty for him.

The old man moved in close, inspecting her. She saw his eyes- white; the man was probably at least half blind. He placed his hand on her chest, and for a second she thought she might have to give him a beating too- but then he moved it to her forehead, and her neck, as if feeling for something.

"Power." He mumbled. "You're strong, no doubt about that."

"How strong?" She asked. "I think I was pretty strong back when I lived- can't remember it too well, though."

"Same for all of us." He mumbled. "We come here, not remembering most of what we were or who we are. But some of us come here strong, like you."

"Some don't?"

"Most people come here not even needing food, 'cause they got so little spirit they can feed off the land itself." Getsu explained, still examining her, "and only a few come here with enough spirit that they need to eat to live on. Even fewer are actually strong." He stood back, looking at her. "Yes, that will do. You stick around in case some scoundrel tries to steal from me. And when they don't, you do chores. In exchange, you get food and a place to sleep. Sound good?"

"Deal." It was a start, at least. "What was that just now, with you touching me?"

"Feelin' for spirit. I can feel it- just ain't very good at it."

"Why can't I feel it?" She wondered. "If I'm so strong…"

"You're practically a newborn. You don't know anything- yet." Getsu shrugged. "Some people are way strong, but can't sense power. What matters is if you can use it. Can you?"

"Yes." She said, not knowing how true that was. Still, thinking too hard about it wouldn't help.

"Good. Now-"

Then suddenly, he was interrupted, as Erza heard some commotion from outside- shouts and cries, the sound of something crashing. Quickly, she headed to the door, looking out. There they were- six, seven, eight people just like the kind she had beaten outside the village, walking around, knocking over booths, hitting people who got too close.

Damn.

The vegetable peddler had been right. And there were quite a few out there, too- all because of her. Quickly, she looked around. She had to find something, some sort of weapon- she couldn't fight them with just her fists.

Fight them. It struck her, in this bizarre moment where time seemed to slow, that she had already decided to fight them all, even though they were so many more, even though it was dangerous. It had come naturally to her. Was that who she had been in life? A warrior? Somebody who would fight for a living?

And then as quickly as the moment had come, it passed, and Erza looked around frantically. Anything would do- a piece of wood, a knife- or… an iron pipe. Lying there on the floor, broken in half, as if only waiting to be picked up and used to bludgeon people. Quickly she grabbed it, weighing it in her hand. It was heavy, long enough to use as a club, and not too rusty. It would do. Pipe in hand, she marched out of the house, into the street. As she saw the thugs, the destruction they had wrought- tools and items broken, goods ruined, people cowering in fear- she felt an anger rise inside of her, and with it some measure of power. It was a strange sensation, but she paid it no mind- how it worked was a question for later.

"Hey!" She cried out, stopping before the gang of hooligans. When they kept going, apparently ignoring her, she raised her voice. "I said, HEY!"

Finally, one of them- a nasty-looking man with a bald head and a scar on his forehead, with the kind of look that reminded her of a lean, flea-ridden tomcat, looked at her, and whistled. His followers stopped, each one looking towards her now.

"Well, lookie here." He said. "Looks like we don't have to tear this shithole up anymore. We got our thief right here, boys."

There was a chorus of approving grunts, and some cat calls too.

"You know," Erza began, "I just beat up three of you easily, just a couple of hours ago. You don't want this."

The man spat, then chuckled. "See, if you really was tough, you'd just have taken us. You givin' us the 'chance' to back away, that tells me you're scared. You don't think you can do this. Ain't that right, boys?"

There was an approving murmur from the rest of them, and the lot of them brandished whatever weapons they had- sticks, clubs, the odd knife, or just their fists. They looked so typical- tough, lean, muscular, with a look in their face that said that yeah, they'd sell their grandmother for a dime. They might as well have tattooed "enforcer" on their foreheads.

But of course, image was just that- image. She'd fought enough people to know that appearances could be deceiving- and that this kind of thug didn't have much in the way of morale.

Wait, how did she know that?

"Who are you people? What do you want?" She said, hoping to stall. Stall for what exactly, she wasn't sure.

"We're the Blue Lizards." The leader said, looking grim. "I'm Taku, and I answer directly to boss Hoku. And you," he said, pointing at her, "are a thief and a rebel. And we don't take kindly to rebels- let one weed start, an' they just keep spreading."

"Well, good that's clear. I wouldn't want to mistake you for the turquoise frogs." Erza mumbled. "Your men tried to take me- said they owned me. So I beat them. And I didn't steal anything."

"Funny." Taku said. "You took those clothes- and you resisted."

"I didn't want to go." Erza said sternly.

"What you want doesn't matter." Taku said, taking out a knife. "Lizards rule this place, and if we want something, it's ours."

"That's not how it works!"

"It does around here."

Well, it was official: the afterlife was decidedly worse than life. "Not anymore." She said resolutely. "You're going to leave this village, and you're not going to come back. That's your one chance, right here."

"Or you'll what, rough us up a bit with that purdy little pipe?" One of the thugs said.

"Yes."

"Cute." Taku said. "No, we'll just kill ya- and then, we'll teach this place a lesson."

"You really don't want to do this." She said, and she wasn't sure _she_ wanted to do this.

"You, get her." Taku said, nodding to one of his thugs, a burly man with a crude pair of brass knuckles.

"Got it."

And as he approached her, Erza let herself go, letting her instinct alone guide her, routine practiced into the very marrow of her bones from the time when she had been alive.

And then, as the man charged forward, fist raised, she dodged the first swing, then grabbed the pipe with both hands, and slammed it into the side of his chest. She could feel her power surging, and for a fleeting moment she felt like she could control herself- not just control what she did, but every cell in her body…

And then, the thug went flying, slamming into a house wall fifteen feet away. He let out a pained groan, and stayed down.

Taku raised an eyebrow. "Damn."

"I told you," she said, her breath deep and ragged- this power was really taxing- "you don't want to do this."

"All at once, boys." Taku gestured, advancing with his knife out. As one, the eight remaining bandits began to advance, carefully and with their weapons raised, spreading out.

Quickly, Erza looked around. The street had lots of open room. Good- so long as she didn't get surrounded, she could do this. Probably. Deciding to take the initiative, she hopped forward, charging the closest thug. He raised his club, trying a simple feint, but she read him perfectly, and with a simple sidestep, he missed completely. Counterattacking, she slammed her pipe into his gut, and as he bent over with a wheeze, she could feel her own power venting into it. Quickly, she lashed out to the side, slamming the weapon into the skull of another thug. There was a gratifying thud as it connected, and he fell over, quite unconscious.

But that still left five, and they were coming at her now, trying to weigh her down. Just one second more, and they'd have done it. Quickly, Erza somersaulted forward, moving out of range. In one smooth movement, she was on her feet again, spinning around to face them. Not letting herself take the time to feel amazed at this skill- she had forgotten she knew how to do that- she faced them again, hopping forward, kicking high. Her foot slammed into the chest of one of the thugs, sending him staggering back, and as the next came in, she caught his weapon- a thick wooden branch- with her pipe, and slammed a fist into his throat. Clutching at his neck, the man went down on his knees, and Erza kicked him for good measure, before hopping back.

"Well," she said, spinning her pipe around, "that's three down, and you haven't even touched me."

They were still moving now, but with much less certainty, much less confidence. Maybe, just maybe…

"How about you, Taku?" She said, looking the man in the eyes. "You're in charge here. Shouldn't you be on point?"

"You _are_ the toughest here, boss." One of the thugs behind him said.

"Shut it!"

"Well, if you won't…" Erza said calmly, suddenly feeling no more hesitation, "then I will." With that she sprung forward, furiously hacking at Taku. The man parried with his knife, but she had a hand free, and grabbed him by the wrist. She pulled, hard, and suddenly Taku was overbalanced. Before he could recover, Erza slammed the pipe into his back, then into his head for good measure. In the corner of her eye, she could see another man coming in from behind, and instinctually, she lashed out, hitting hard- and he dropped like a sack of potatoes, the air knocked out of his lungs.

Now there were only three left.

"Well, you still want to do this?"

"Bloody hell…" one of them murmured.

"Leave." Erza said resolutely. "Take your friends with you, and leave. And don't come back!"

"Who _are_ you?" The man mumbled fearfully.

"You can call me Titania." She said, feeling… oddly triumphant; that name too was hers. Somehow. "And this place belongs to me now. Go tell your boss that.

"You're mad!" he cried, as he and the two remaining thugs hurried away, their bruised comrades following as best they could. "The boss'll get you for this!"

Erza breathed a sigh of relief as she watched them disappear into the distance. Slowly, people came out again from out their houses, a look of awe, fear and, for some, cheer in their eyes. Erza smiled. She really was a fighter, after all- and protecting these people, it felt good.

Then, out of nowhere, things went black, and she collapsed.

She woke up, lying on a cot in the worn down house, the old man watching over here.

"What…" she murmured, sitting up. Her head ached, and there was a burning in her muscles, her whole body.

"You used up too much spirit at once." Getsu explained. "When you have a lot of it and you don't know how to use it, that can happen easily."

"But I'll be all right?"

"Oh, I should say so." He nodded. "You just need a bit of rest. Don't overdo it before you can control it, though- run out of it, and you might die."

"Oh." She mumbled. That would be no good- she had only just gotten here.

"Still, you're all right. The villagers seem appreciative enough, although they're a bit hesitant- the mess was, technically, your fault."

"I didn't mean to-"

"You did good." The old man said, nodding approvingly. "Welcome to the Soul Society, Erza Scarlet. You'll do just fine."

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><p><strong>Well, there you have it. This is just the first chapter of "The Death and Life of Erza Scarlet." and I have to say, im pleased with the results. First and foremost, I want to thank Greatkingrat88 once again for writing this for me, I do appreciate it to finally have the story I dreamed of placed onto this site.<strong>

**I also want to take a moment and thank YOU, the reader, for taking your time to read this story. It really means a lot to me that people want to give this a shot and I just want you to know that I appreciate it.**

**However, if there are any issues you find with this story, PLEASE tell me in your review. I cant fix problems in my plot if I don't know they exist. Anything at all helps.**

**Speaking of reviews, Id much appreciate it if you gave me your thoughts on the story thus far. Regardless of if it gets a lot of reviews or not however, this story WILL continue to be updated at a MINIUM of once a month. **

**Now many chapters have already been written in advance, but eventually, im going to run out, and greatkingrat is a busy man, so we wont be able to update more than that once things catch up.**

**Also, feel free to ask me any and all questions you have. Ill ****be more than happy to answer them in PMs if they don't contain heavy spoilers**

**But again, thank you for reading and I sincerely hope you enjoy this.**


	2. New life, New enemies

**Fairy Tail is Propety of Hiro Mashima and BLEACH is property of Tite Kubo**

**Well, here it is everyone the 2nd chapter! I'm extremely thankful to everyone that read this story and even more so to the ones that have decided to fav, follow and review this. Any feed back I get from you helps. Constructive criticism is welcome here.**

**With that, enjoy this chapter.**

**A special thank you to Greatkingrat88 for writing this chapter. Without his help, I could not be posting this.**

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><p>Something like two weeks had passed since Erza's arrival in the afterlife, and she was adapting as well as could be expected under the circumstances. She still missed what she had lost, her old life with all the people it had entailed, but she was still doing well. The village, after its initial suspicion to her, had quickly warmed up to the idea of protection against bandits, and though they seemed to regard her with some caution, she was welcome here. It felt good to think that whatever she had been in the past, she was doing some good here and now.<p>

Not that she had had to do much heavy lifting- the bandits of the Blue Lizard gang hadn t been in touch since she had beaten their enforcers down so thoroughly; all had been relatively peaceful. So far, Erza hadn t had much to do- aside from practicing with her iron pipe (even with her lack of a real sword, it was fairly efficient), the most she did was help bring in the crops.

That was what she was doing right now, holding a big basket of corn. The afterlife was so absurdly like real life; who would ever have thought that spiritual matter would take the shape of corn? Erza s musing were interrupted by a group of cheering little children, surrounding her as she walked back from the field and towards the village. As much as the adults were hesitant to accept her, the children were not- she was something like a hero to them, after that day she first arrived. She didn t mind it much.

"Hey sis!" One of them cheered, a black-haired little tyke. "You going back to the village? Can we come along?"

"Yes, you should." She nodded. "It s not safe for little children to be wandering about outside the village, you know that."

"Humbug!" Another kid exclaimed, beaming with pride that he knew such an adult word. "We'll be fine. If a bad man comes, you'll whack him really hard, won't you? Everyone s afraid of you, sis!"

"Mhmm" She murmured. People were indeed afraid; not something she liked to be reminded of. Still, he was just a child, and she couldn t hold it against him. "Of course I will. I won t let anybody hurt you, you hear?"

The children smiled, laughing.

"But," she said, deliberately sounding strict, "don t make my job harder by endangering yourselves. You should be with your parents, shouldn't you?"

"Y-yes, sis." One of them stuttered.

"Good." She smiled, dropping that act. "Now run along- I have work to do."

Giggling, the children ran off to do whatever- somehow, she doubted all of them would run straight to their parents. It was funny how that worked- as it turned out, it seemed almost nobody found their actual relatives in the afterlife- which took most of the joy out of afterlife to begin with- but people still formed families. With no memories of their parents, these children had all found foster parents, most of which were just as loving as any parent should be. Sad as it was that people did not seem to find each other after death, the bonds of affection still existed. It was heartening.

This afterlife was quite tolerable. She had expected much more, but what she had right now made her feel content- to a degree, at least. She still couldn t remember her old life, where she had come from, what friends she had had- only that she had been very happy, and that she had treasured those she left behind. What had it been like, she wondered? Had she had a lover, a husband who she left mourning? Children? Well, not likely- but there were friends. A lot of them, she was sure. It was the strangest feeling, to miss something you couldn t even remember.

Still, this was okay. She made a difference here. She kept people safe. That was enough. One day she would go out, find out anything she could about this world, find out what connection there was to the world of the living- she had heard there was a place called the court of souls, where shinigami lived, where there was information; she might start there. But for now, she was needed here.

Lost in thought, she walked back to old man Getsu s place.

The old man was busy muttering to himself, a quirky habit that Erza suspected had to do with his age- strange, but harmless.

_"_Are you all right, old man?" She said quietly, trying not to startle him.

"You!" He said, looking up._ "_You're late." She wasn't, not exactly, but she humored him.

"Sorry. The kids tagged along, and you know how they are."

"They followed you outside the village? So stupid- it s not safe." He muttered.

"Well, there's not much I can do about it. I m not their mother." She said, shrugging. "What s so dangerous, anyway? There s no bandits around, and I haven t even seen one of those, what were they called, hollows since I got here."

Getsu looked her right in the eye, and there was steel there, different from the tired old man from just a moment ago. "You wonder what s so dangerous ? You never did see a hollow- so you wouldn t understand."

"I could try." Erza said, frowning. People here were terrified of them; they'd avoid speaking about them as if the mere mention would summon them there. Grown men would tremble at the thought of one appearing, and Erza never understood.

"Then listen carefully." Getsu said. "Exterminating them is a shinigami s job, but out here, they don t always come in time- if they come at all. So we live in fear of the hollows, and hide whenever one comes near."

"Are they all the same?" She asked curiously.

"No". Getsu shook his head. "Some are huge. Some are smaller, but all are much bigger and stronger than us. And when you see one face to face-" he trailed off, a look of dread on his face.

"Are they that terrifying?"

"When you see one face to face, it s pure malice bearing down on you. So much power, only wanting to kill you for food, and there s nothing you can do about it. Those big white, bony masks, those red eyes- it s a living nightmare." He shuddered.

"Did you ever do that? See one up close, I mean?"

"I- yes." The old man said hesitantly. "I don't like to talk about it- but if it helps you realize what they are, then He stared out into space, falling silent for a little while. I was young, only a few years in this afterlife. This same village- but not the same people."

"Were they killed?"

"Not all of them, not then." He said, looking pained. "But it was one night, when we all were asleep, when I heard a noise- a scream. Me and a friend headed out to see what it was- and down the street it was, bigger than a bull, long, bony head with big sharp teeth- and it was chewin on a little girl. My friend, he- he choked up, just slightly, before continuing, he tried to help. He hit the hollow. Then it hit him back, and he went down. Then I saw him being eaten. It just stood there, eating my friend without a care in the world, and I was paralyzed. I was sure I d die- but when it was done, it just gave me a look and walked away. He shuddered again, and there was a tear in his eye. They're real monsters, Erza, and if we don t have help from the shinigami, there s nothing we can do. Don t ever fight them- we can t lose you."

"I see." She said, feeling moved.

"Promise me. It s too dangerous- you're strong, but they are so much stronger. Promise!"

"I promise." Erza said reassuringly. The old man's tale was pitiable, and she felt for him- but somehow, she felt unafraid. It was as if she was used to this sort of thing- had she been some kind of monster hunter before?

"These shinigami, though," she asked, "what do you mean they sometimes don't come?"

"They come only if they are close enough. And even then, there's usually time for a hollow to do whatever he pleases."

"Shouldn't they be your protectors?"

"What they should be and what they are, are different things." Getsu said glumly. "They don't seem to care much- too busy guarding noble lands, I bet."

Erza frowned. Some protectors they were- but then again, maybe she didn t know everything she needed to know.

Some time later, after a quick lunch, Erza headed out to a small glade not far from the village. Even though she still had only an iron pipe for a weapon, even though she had nobody to spar with, she still needed to train somehow- to keep fit, to hone (or remember) whatever skills she had. Without delaying, she began stretching, exercising- jogging, training her muscles, doing pushups, even testing the weight and strength of her iron pipe as if it were a sword. One hour, two hours passed, and soon she was covered in sweat, her muscles burning. It was a good pain, the kind that signaled progress. Finally having had enough, she tumbled down in a sitting position, sitting herself cross-legged against a tree, closing her eyes. Relaxing herself, she began to meditate, reflecting on what had happened to her so far- and who she was, who she had been. It was still a mystery; no luck yet.

Yet, she could feel herself growing stronger, stronger every day. Right now, when it was quiet, her body worn out and her eyes closed, it was almost as if- for lack of a better word- she could see it, see the power that made her so strong. Reiatsu. Reiryoku. Spiritual matter, making up her very being just like atoms- and there was such a large pool of it forming. When first she had come here, she had barely been able to feel it at all, burning so much energy at once, but slowly she was beginning to control it. It was like a valve, a tap controlling the flow of water- only the water, in this case, was like a bursting river, and she was barely holding it back. And she still had no idea whether she was strong or weak. Strong, compared to the lowly endowed villagers, certainly, but compared to a shinigami? A hollow?

As she sat there, the image of her power formed in her mind- like a big blue ball of wibbly, wobbly, spiritual-ish stuff. All hers to use if she could just refine it, control it-

And then her concentration was broken. There had been a rustling in the bushes, something small. Carefully, she extended her reiatsu, letting it clash with the reiatsu all around her, reading it. Small, in size and shape- probably a child. Smirking, she grabbed at the ground until she found a small pebble, hurling it right at the reiatsu source. There was a small cry, and Erza opened her eyes. From behind a bush, rubbing his head, came one of the children who had been following her around- Kitsu, a black-haired little boy.

"It's not very polite to spy on a lady, you know." She said, pretending to be stricter than she really felt.

"S-sorry, sis." The boy said awkwardly, rubbing his head. "It s just that- you re uh, you're really cool and I wanted to see how you train to fight."

"Then ask." She said, sounding friendlier. "I sensed you- you can t hide."

"I hid up until now." The boy said cheekily, now relaxed enough to smile. She wasn t really upset- the children around here were, for the most part, not terrible to be around.

"Well, you run away now." She said, getting up to her feet. "I'm heading back now, and you really shouldn't be out here- it s not safe, they say."

"Pfft." The boy said. "They're just afraid. They re not strong like you, sis."

"Listen to your mother and father." She said, trying to sound stern- in a not too convincing manner.

The child nodded, running off, in all likeliness not the least bit deterred from wandering outside the relative safety of the village- and right now, wasn't it safe? Erza was not one to beat her own drum, but if the bandits in the area were anything like the one she beat when she came here, then her village would be quite safe- and hollows; people were terrified of them, but how often did they really come? Could she not fight that kind of monster, too?

Lost in thought, Erza decided it was enough training for the day, wandering aimlessly around the nearby forest- a walk was a good way to round off training, and she didn't quite feel like going back just yet.  
>She walked for something like perhaps half an hour, not straying into territory she didn't know yet- getting lost would be pretty bothersome- slowly letting her muscles relax.<p>

Finally getting hungry, she decided to head back- there'd be dinner of a kind soon. But then, as she was walking past a hill, she felt something- something strange, like a mild tug, like a reiatsu source; something different. This was new- and whatever it was, it was just past that hill. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she decided that her meal could wait just a little longer, leisurely strolling up the hill, trying her best to sense this strange source of energy. She still wasn't very good- she could only get a very rough sense of what the reiatsu looked like; her range was pretty poor. But as she came closer, there was a feeling of unease in her gut, getting stronger as she approached the hill s top, stronger and stronger- something distressing, and it was this source of reiatsu. It was different, and felt wrong, somehow. Moving with a bit more caution, she got to the hill top, standing next to a tree. Carefully, she looked around, and very soon she saw it.

It was chilling; the shock registering before anything else. Down there was a long, reptilian creature with lanky, long legs with spikes jutting out here and there, a big bulky body, and although its back was turned on her, she saw it- the white. It had a mane of fur, but past it there was a bone-like collar of bleached white. Most of all, there was power- power, raw malevolent power radiating from it; she felt it now, strands of reiatsu washing over her like wind. It was as if the creature was entirely unconcerned with who might find it, who might see it- it was ill-intended ease of a kind that only a predator would exude, and she knew- she knew, seeing it there- that it had to be a hollow.

Gone was her confidence, her ignorant presumption of fighting- this was a monster, and it radiated power she couldn't compete with. Sinking to her knees, hugging the tree, she looked, unable to run, move forward or raise and arm in offense or defense.

The creature, looking like some strange amalgam of a lizard and a lion, was feasting on a deer- a small meal, because it was the size of a small house. Its white mask was covered in blood, guzzling down the dead animal, skin, bone, teeth and sinew along with the meat. After finishing up, it lazily stretched its limbs, and then looked around. It looked away from her, and Erza prayed, hoped, it would leave. For a moment it looked like it would- but then it turned its head towards her, and Erza could see its face- a big, white mask, triangular in shape, with two short horns. Big teeth, looking like a human s- but so wrong, so big, like a perversion of the real thing. She felt its aura more than ever before, and she realized what she felt was terror, being faced with a monster so much stronger.

And then, it said,

"_I feel you, little soul."_

Its voice was an amused tone of assurance and mild interest, malevolent like a predator looking down on a mouse. Finally breaking the spell, Erza got to her feet, and started running, running, running- she ran, back toward the village, fast as her legs could carry her, until her lungs ached from the exertion. Once she saw the village again, she finally slowed down. She hadn t been pursued, she saw- she could feel nothing, nothing coming for her. Sinking to her knees, she sat down, exhausted, physically and emotionally. That that was a hollow, a monster, and it was strong- stronger than her? What could she- what could she possibly do? How could she possibly be so vain as to think she could protect anybody, when a monster like that existed?

But as she sat there trembling, it was as if she could see a face, in her head- a cocky face, belonging to a young man with red hair. It was saying nothing, but it looked confident, unafraid- and Erza felt for a moment like she remembered everything. But the moment slipped away from her, but she kept one thing- she remembered indomitable spirit, a refusal to surrender even in the face of truly absurd odds, fighting to the last. Slowly, she got up on her feet. This was not her way; lying down and cowering was not her way. If that monster was so strong, then there was an obvious answer: get even stronger. Fight it to the death if it came here. And if she lost, buy as much time as possible for everyone else to get away. She d protect this place, one way or the other- that was the Fairy Tail way.

Whatever Fairy Tail was.

The rest of the day passed quickly, the experience still staying with her. There was cooking, chores, people- but it was all a little like a dream, compared to what had just happened; her fear and the resolve that had been born out of it. Before she knew it, she was in her meager bed, under her simple, unwashed blanket, drifting into sleep. She slept heavily, but her dreams were haunted, white faces looking down on her, coming down to swallow her whole.

And then she was awake, sitting upright in her bead with a start, feeling disoriented. Recovering, she got up, and after grabbing a quick breakfast- just some corn porridge- she headed out into the village. As soon as possible, she d go out to train, train, train even more, until her muscles burned- and then some.

As it happened, her plans to train were thwarted before they even began- as soon as she got out on the village s one street, she saw the commotion- people gathered in a large crowd, talking worriedly. Quickly, she hurried up to the villagers, wondering what could be so important- at this point, most people were out working. As she got there, she saw one man talking excitedly, people around him murmuring, concerned looks on their faces all round.

"What s going on?" She demanded. "What's happened?"

"It's Taiji, miss!" The man exclaimed. "I found im- or what was left!"

"What?"

"I was goin out to tend to my crops, and I found an arm and a head- Taiji s! There was blood all over the damn place, too! He wailed. We re all done for, I tell you!"

"It has to be a hollow." One of the farmers said morosely. "And things were going so well."

"Then I'll find it." Erza said, feigning confidence- and at once, the crowd fell silent.

"You'd find it?" Another farmer said, sounding incredulous.

"To do what, get killed?" The man, the one who had found Taiji, retorted. "Bandits one thing, but hollows- that s outta our league, even if you re real strong." He shook his head, looking defeated.

"We have to send word to the Gotei Juusantai." Another man opined. "They're the only ones who can do anything."

"They won't get here till two days from now even if we send word right now!" One woman complained. "We- we're-"

"It's not hopeless." Erza said decisively. "Send word. Meanwhile, I'll go after it. I'm the strongest, so that means I'll be the tastiest, doesn t it?"

There was a murmur of approval from the crowd- the idea of drawing attention away from them, to her, did seem to go down well.

"All right." She said. "You." She pointed to the man who had found the body. "Show me where you found him."

The man was shaking, but the look on Erza s face was motivation enough- she was in no mood to mess around, and soon the two of them were heading out of the village. Erza tried to remember what his name was- Kasu or something of the like, she thought.

He led her towards his fields, towards a place she hadn t seen much of before- there really was a lot of land around them, and growing crops, that was a necessity. Before too long, though, Kasu had led her to the outside of a field. The plants looked healthy, ripe- almost ready for harvest. It was such a fine picture of life that the contrast of a mostly eaten corpse lying beside them, blood spread all around, was all the greater. Kasu put a hand over his mouth, looking like he would hurl, and Erza couldn t blame him. The corpse was badly mutilated- there were parts of a skull, a large piece of spine, and half an arm. Aside from some wobbly, bloody bits that Erza didn t want to guess what they were, that was all what was left. Fighting the urge to walk away, Erza kneeled down, inspecting the remains closely. There were teeth marks- large, big teeth marks, where the bones had been gnawed. Whatever had killed this poor man had taken its time to enjoy its gruesome meal. It was sickening.

"Kasu, right?" She said, turning to the farmer.

"Y-yes, ma'am." The man said, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Run back to the village and get a sack, or something."

"Ma'am?"

"There s not a lot left of this man, but he deserves a funeral nonetheless." Erza said resolutely. "And I don t know about you, but I'm not keen on carrying these pieces by hand."

"Y-yes, ma'am. Of course, ma'am." Kasu said, turning around and marching, running away. He was probably relieved to be away, and in all honesty, so she would be too. Still, Erza forced herself to stay, to look at the carnage. This was what this world was- beautiful harvests on the one hand, but blood and death on the other, and the only way to preserve the worthwhile things, she realized, was to fight for it. She would have to fight this hollow eventually, or it would just happen again, and again, and again.

After a while, Kasu came back with a small sack. Grimacing, Erza went about the messy job of collecting the bloody remains- but it had to be done, and done it was. After washing her hands in a nearby stream, she headed back to the village, carrying an all too light sack.

There was a summary funeral, after a hole had been hastily dug behind the poor man s house, with his neighbor saying a few words in memory of him. Erza couldn t stand it- when they began filling the grave, she left, heading back to her home.  
>Once there, she sat down on the floor, trying to meditate. But every time she tried to gather her thoughts, the image of those gnawed corpse pieces appeared before her eyes, haunting her.<p>

Eventually, old man Getsu came in, interrupting her. Where he had been, she didn t know, but she almost felt grateful- she had no idea where to go next. Fight the hollow, sure, but how? Where would she even find it?

"I hear you saw something right awful." Getsu said gently, walking up to her.

"They say right." She said, sighing. "Old man, I-" she stopped herself, trying to find the words.

"Yes, child?" He took a seat opposite of her, slowly crossing his legs.

"The other day." She said, breathing heavily. "The other day, I saw it."

"The monster?" Getsu said urgently.

"I saw a hollow, yeah. I think it was, at least- it fit your description, and it felt so evil." She shuddered.

He nodded. "They are evil, child. To the bone."

"I was so sure I could handle that." She said, fighting to keep her voice steady. "But when I saw it I was afraid, Getsu, I was so afraid. It was like looking at a nightmare."

"They are the stuff of nightmare. Nobody should feel ashamed to be afraid of them- not even someone like you. We are afraid of storms, of natural disasters, and we are afraid of hollows too. We cannot do anything- the likes of us cannot fight them."

"But that's what I have to do, old man." She said quietly.

"You mustn't!"

"Yes, I have to." She said resolutely. "Even if it kills me, even if I m afraid. I when I was alive, I was someone who could fight, I am sure of it- and I m strong. I m our best bet, and someone has to do _something_, even if it just stalling it till there s help."

"And if you die, horribly?"

"Then that's what happens."

"For people you've known less than a month?"

Erza stood up. "If I don t do it, who will?"

She grabbed her iron pipe, and walked towards the door.

"Well, don t expect me to feel sorry for you when you get yourself killed!" Getsu shouted grumpily after her.

"I won't." She said, opening the door. She had decided- to battle it was, and it was an oddly relieving feeling. Frightening, sure, and there was anxiety and hesitation too- but having set her mind on this, even if it meant staking blood, pain and struggle, felt much better than the fear and uncertainty that had stalked her since she had seen the monster. Stopping only to grab some food from one of the village traders- this could be a fairly long trip, after all- she headed out, back to where she had first seen it. She would start there, and then scour the surrounding area- the entire district, if she had to- to find it. She was the biggest reiatsu source around here- she would be the tastiest target for a monster like that.

Resolutely, she marched out into the wilderness, carrying only her pipe and a small sack for food. She walked at an even pace, all day until evening. The landscape around her changed-more hills, more rocks, more trees. No wonder they farmed in the flatter lands.  
>Finally, as sun began to set, she decided it was enough for the day. Sitting down under a tree, she leaned back, letting herself relax. The ground wasn t soft, and the night was chilly, but it wasn t too bothersome. She wished she knew some shinigami magic; maybe then she could have lit a fire.<p>

Then, best she lay back trying to sleep, she sensed something. Her first instinct was a hollow, and she sat bolt upright- but upon closer inspection, it was very much not a hollow. It was a small reiatsu signature, it was

"Come out, Kitsu." She said sharply.

From out a bush, the boy came, letting out an awkward laugh. "You caught me, sis."

"Good grief, you kept up with me all day?" She said, trying to sound irritated- but it was fairly impressive for a child, she had to admit.

"They all said you were going out to slay the hollow!" The boy exclaimed. "Don't you see- I had to see that!"

"Slay it- or get slain. And then what happens to you?" She chided.

"You won't lose." He said confidently, with the certainty only a child or a fool could provide.

"You're a real dummy, you know that? Your parents will be worried sick- you should go home."

"I can't go home now. A little kid walking all that way himself, when a hollow is around?" He grinned.

She sighed. "I should slap you silly, you know." She said, realizing she wasn t very good at playing strict at the moment.

"But you won't. Because you re cool, and nice, and really pretty-"

"No flattery." She said sharply. "You're staying, if only because I can t march you back myself- but if there s any sign of trouble, you_ go hide_. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sis!" Kitsu said, looking pleased.

"Good grief." she mumbled. But despite herself, not being alone felt good, even if it was just a silly kid who was too brave for his own good.

Flayer looked at the two little creatures from afar. The woman radiated power- she would make a fine meal, enough that he could remain safe in Hueco Mundo for a long time; perhaps even enough to trigger an evolution of his power. That would be something, to become a Menos he licked his teeth in anticipation. It really was a lucky catch- she had lots of power, like a shinigami, but she wasn t using it right, and she didn t have one of those accursed weapons either. She had run away from him the other day- he had been full, and not really too interested in a chase. But now he was hungry again, and she she would make a fine meal. Killing one of the worthless creatures she lived with had worked really well, too- she was no shinigami, but she had the same na ve idea that she needed to protect. Heroes were so ieasy/i, so exploitable. Still, he had to be careful- he had lived for decades as a hollow, and he hadn t gotten that far by taking unnecessary risks. He could pounce on them now, but what if she woke and proved stronger than he had expected? No, better not risk it- an ambush would be better, at a time and place chosen by him.

Still, he was hungry, and a snack would be just about right now. Carefully, he snuck closer, moving quietly despite his bulky, reptilian body. Taking one careful step at a time, he came close enough. It was just a small kid next to her, but it would do- he could eat it later, and it would give this hero a reason to come after him, come right where he needed her to be. Reaching out a monstrous hand, he grabbed the kid, clamping a finger over its mouth. The boy woke, wiggling, trying to scream, but it was too late- he was taken, silenced. Flayer licked his teeth again, drooling slightly. This would be worth staying longer here in Soul Society, so well worth it.

The next day, Erza Scarlet woke up alone. The sun was only now rising, the dark of night receding. She got up, rubbing her eyes- she was tired still, but the ground was not a very comfortable bed to start with. She began digging in her pack for some breakfast, when she looked around- and realized that little Kitsu was not there anymore. Quickly snapping fully awake, she looked around, getting to her feet.

Gone. He was gone, without a trace anywhere. He wouldn t have run off on his own, would he? No- that wouldn't make sense. He wanted to come along with her, and even if he left for home, why would he do it in the night? Urgently, she began to look around for any trace, any sign left. Had he been taken by bandits? If so, why hadn t they tried to take her too? Could it be the hollow-

It could. In the ground, just twenty odd feet from where she had slept, she saw footprints; big, huge footprints from a creature with three clawed toes, leading up to her camp site- and then away from it. There was no doubt- Kitsu had been taken by the hollow. She could see no blood though, not around where she had slept, or around the footprints. Feverishly, she looked around for traces of blood, hoping to whatever powers might listen that she would find none.

As luck would have it, after fifteen minutes of searching, she could see no blood- there was still hope he might be alive. Erza stopped, taking deep breaths- she couldn't lose her calm now. Thinking carefully, she wolfed down some bread and corn- she needed breakfast, and there was no sense in hunting a hollow on an empty stomach. All right, what could she make of this? She wasn't a great detective, but some things seemed apparent- the kid was not dead, and the hollow hadn't pounced on her in her sleep. Why? She would have been vulnerable. If the hollow had done this, then there was some design to it, some purpose.

Quickly, she began walking, trying her damnedest to sense for reiatsu signatures while thinking. Did it want to lure her into a trap? Maybe. That could explain kidnapping the child. Or maybe it was just malice; these creatures were supposed to be evil through and through.

Her mind plagued with fears and doubts, a thousand and one grim scenarios playing through her head, she walked through the forest trying to follow the hollow s trail. If Kitsu died, it would be her fault- she had been there, right next to him, and he had been taken without her noticing. What kind of protector was she?

After a couple of hours, just when her doubts had almost turned to hopelessness, she felt it- just a tinge of reiatsu, different from anything else around her. Quickly, she hurried in its direction, the sensation getting stronger and stronger.

Flayer waited impatiently, whipping his tail. He had smelled the stupid woman all day, sensing her get closer, and he had been letting his own reiatsu pump high so she could find him. He was perched high on a tree, an ancient, thick tree overlooking a glade. The boy was there in the middle; he would make for good bait as he came down from above. Slowly, he suppressed his reiatsu. Now, all he had to do was wait.

Erza was running, hopping across stone and wood to get there. She could sense Kitsu now, but the hollow s signature was fading- had it run away? Never mind; she had to help, had to save him somehow. In this moment, with adrenaline pumping through her system, all her senses seemed enhanced, like every smell of the forest was known to her, like every detail of every rock and tree was noticeable, like she could sense anything-  
>And there it was. In the middle of a glade sat the boy, on a tree stump, looking terrified. Quickly, Erza rushed towards him.<p>

"Sis, look out!" he cried, as she entered the glade. Erza, reacting on instinct, spun around-  
>And then he was on her. The monster pounced on her, its claws slashing at her, tearing her kimono. The impact sent her flying like a rag doll, and it was all she could do to keep a grip on her iron pipe. Not letting up, the hollow hopped on top of her, pinning her arm to the ground, sinking its claws into her side. She could see its face, up close- it was ugly, terrifying, like the face of death. Its breath stunk, and Erza moaned in pain.<p>

"_So simple." _It said, sounding smug. "_You are all so stupid, little souls. You are fit only to be my prey."_ The monster opened its maw, and at the last second, Erza broke her arm free, swinging the pipe as hard as she could. It didn't do much- the hollow s head veered to the side, but it seemed unharmed. It did, however, give her the time to get up on her feet.

_"You really are strong, aren't you?"_ It said, licking its teeth. _"You'll make a fine meal- I can already taste your blood."_

"I'm not dead yet." Erza said, standing up with her head held high." And I'm not going to die here, either."

_"You talk big, but I can smell it on you- the fear. You reek of it."_ The hollow cackled evilly.

"Come find out how afraid I am, then!" Brandishing her pipe, Erza braced herself for the worst.

_"With pleasure."_

And the hollow leapt forward.

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><p><strong>And so ends chapter 2. I understand a lot of you were probably hopping for the battle itself to happen within this chapter, but I believe building up tension was the right thing to do. Besides, this gave my writer more time to work on the upcoming battle. You wont be disappointed I promise.<strong>

**How will Erza fare against this new enemy without the use of her magic and no zanpaktou? Well, your going to have to wait to find out im afraid. In one week, I promise to have the next chapter loaded up.**

**However this day marks something special. Tonight, Toonami airs the final episode of Bleach. While I've already seen all the anime subbed and read the manga every week, the dub of the anime is what truly got me into bleach in the first place. Been watching it for 5 years. 5 very fun years. Its going to be sad to see it end.**

**However, I still have hope that one day, the anime will return, and we can get our conclusion to the story of bleach in anime format. **

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please feel free to leave your thoughts in a review. Reader feed back is _HIGHLY_ appreciated.**


	3. The Scarlet Protector

**Fairy Tail is Property of Hiro Mashima and Bleach is property of Tite Kubo.**

**Since im such a good mood, I decided to upload a chapter earlier than I planed. I was hopping to have a few more reviews by this point, but hey, beggars cant be choosers. This chapter, once again, was written by Greatkingrat88. Thanks again for an amazing job.**

**And thank you, dear reader, for taking your time to read this story.**

**That said, as I've mentioned before, IM the one who comes up with the plot, so please, do feel free to ask me any questions you may have for the story.**

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><p>The impact felt like it could shatter bones. The hollow bore down on Erza, tackling her, trying to bring her to the ground- but she pushed back, the soles of her feet burning as they scraped across the ground, leaving dirty, heavy skid marks on the forest floor. Letting out a cry, she grabbed the hollow s clawed arm with one hand, slamming her iron pipe down, onto its mask with her other arm. It was futile; it was nowhere near enough to crack it- but at the same time, she could feel something resonate, something humming with power as she struck. Suddenly, she could almost see it- everything was spirit; the trees were spirit, the ground was spirit, the grass was spirit, and at the core of everything was the spiritual energy of the hollow and herself, clashing against each other- that was what this afterlife was, energies clashing against one another-<p>

And then her brief moment of realization was overridden by her combat instinct, Erza somersaulting backwards to avoid a swipe of the hollow s claws. It let out a deep, fierce, malicious growl, and she could feel its claws just grazing her back, narrowly avoiding an injury greater than a scratch. She couldn t let herself be distracted- a single moment of hesitation, a single mistake, and she would be dead- again, presumably permanently.

But at the same time, the fear she had felt earlier was gone. Here she was, face to face, and her body was reacting on its own, her muscles working in patterns buried deep in her brain, ingrained in her from childhood, and she felt not fear, only caution. Not hesitance, only focus.

The hollow lunged forward again, reaching for her with its clawed arms. Reading its movement, she calculated its momentum, jumped, and sailed past its claws entirely, above its head, landing at the back of its neck. Knowing she had just a split second, she let her energy rise- remarkable, what control this dangerous situation had given her- and brought her pipe down at the hollow s neck, hard. There was a dull thud, and she could feel it- the bony head was thick and strong, but the neck was soft, full of bone, sinew and muscle that could be hurt.

The hollow howled, spinning around, thrashing, and Erza was flung off, but she found her balance mid-air, and let herself hit the ground in a roll, getting to her feet almost instantly. The hollow was rearing, turning towards her, but she was not letting it take the initiative. Immediately, she charged towards it, holding her pipe in both hands, slamming it down on the hollow s head, again and again and again. The hollow let out a frustrated sound, slashing at her with its left arm furiously, but the swipe was broad, too strong and too wide, and Erza ducked under it, immediately lunging forward, slamming a fist into the monster s chest. And to her surprise, the monster staggered backward. She felt strong, stronger than ever- her power was rising, flaring like a beacon of force.

_ "You think yourself strong, little maggot?"_ The monster hissed. _"I will feast on your innards and drink from your skull!"_

"I'm not the one who stopped the fight to talk." Erza said, holding her pipe up like a sword. "But since we re talking- why don't I say something?"

_" Speak, then."_ The hollow said, pacing around her , licking its teeth again.

Carefully rotating to match the hollow s steps, Erza continued,

"I know why you hit me from an ambush."

_"Oh?"_

" I thought I was the one who was afraid- but it was you, wasn't it? If I was so beneath you, you would just have walked up and killed me- but you hit me from behind, because _you re afraid of me"._ She said confidently. She had no idea if it was really true, but perhaps she could provoke it to make one false step and it worked. Roaring, all semblance of speech and threat forgotten, the hollow charged. Like an animal, it lunged, and she could see its open jaws, its fierce teeth, that maw aiming to take her head And she felt calm. At the last second, she hopped to the left, then into the air to avoid another swipe- and mid-air, she struck down on its arm, as hard as she could. She felt the impact in her arms, the force of it hurting her, but she was rewarded with the sound of bone cracking. As she landed on the ground, the monster let out a howl.

"_Scum!"_ It shrieked. _"Petty, filthy little soul scum! I will kill you- I will make you watch as I eat that child! I will violate you, destroy you! I will eat-"_  
>Quickly, Erza charged it, slamming her pipe down on its already injured leg. Talk is cheap! She shouted. Now on the defensive, the hollow backed up, turning its right, uninjured side towards her. But now it had one less limb to hurt her with, and she was faster- not much, but fast enough.<p>

And again it came, hopping forward, clawing at her. She was prepared- when suddenly, her power faltered. Unable to respond, she could only block, being sent flying, slamming into a tree. Inwardly, she cursed- she had let too much energy be used at once, blazing it away too carelessly. Focusing, she got up on her feet, forcing more energy out. Again, her power rose- and just in time, as Erza had to crouch into a roll to avoid getting hit. Behind her, the tree she had crashed into was broken, its trunk shattered under the force of the hollow s claws. Quickly, she turned to face the hollow.

_"Something the matter?"_ It said maliciously. "_You were so full of yourself just a second ago, little soul."_

"Come and see what I m full of, then." Erza said grimly, straining herself to keep her power up. This was bad- it could last only a few more minutes.  
><em>"Gladly."<em> The monster said, charging forward, leaping through the air towards her

Everything seemed to move at a snail s pace; like the world had gotten down to slow motion. It was a familiar feeling, somehow- she had sensed it many times before, her senses getting sharper in battle- there was nothing like staking your life to make you feel alive. A flicker of fright crossed Erza s mind, as the towering monster came towards her, sailing through the air, but she dismissed it. Thinking quickly, she dashed forward, as if to greet the monster mid-air- but she went into a roll, skipping forward, the hollow passing over her entirely. Instantly on her feet, Erza turned around, dashing forward, refusing to let that towering, bulky beast get the initiative- it was far too strong to be let run wild, especially when she was weakening.

Letting out a loud, spirited battle cry, she slammed her makeshift weapon down on the monster, who blocked it with its good arm- but as if on instinct, Erza ducked under its arm, slamming the other end of the pipe in its eye. The monster roared with pain, stepping backward, and Erza continued her assault, furiously bashing the iron pipe on its mask, over and over again. Her arms hurt from the impact, she was getting tired, but she barely noticed it- she was almost losing herself in a berserker rage. Visions of the hollow s victims blurred through her mind, and she hit, again and again, the monster forced on the defensive. It tried to lash out, stab at her, but she jumped over the sweep, quickly exploiting the opening to hit at its injured arm again, before hammering at its mask again. She shouted, roared, letting just enough anger flow through her- this was do or die, right here; if she faltered, then she could die easily.  
>Finally, the hollow let out a frustrated howl, hopping back.<p>

_"You filthy, conceited little soul!"_ He shrieked. _"I will not forget this- I will come back for you, and for every pathetic soul you protect!"_  
>We re finishing this. Erza said resolutely, swinging her pipe outward, just like a sword. She noticed a small bone fragment falling off, and with a triumphant look on her face, she turned her gaze to the hollow s mask. There was a crack- several cracks, caused by her assault. She grinned.<br>She was running on fumes, though, and she knew it. She was already fighting off an impulse to collapse, her legs trembling slightly with adrenaline, her power already fading.

_ I am anything but finished with you, you petty little thing,"_ The hollow said, clutching its broken arm, _"but this fight ends for now. Rest assured, this will not be the last we see of each other!"_

It spat- or let out a spit-sounding kind of sound, as much as a creature without lips could- and moved its good arm, bringing it down through the air, and suddenly, a black rift opened. It looked strange- odd, unnatural, out of place, just _wrong _

"_Good bye, little ape_." The hollow cackled, moving into the portal.

Erza immediately charged forward. Later, when asked why, she would have no real answer- it would have been so easy to let it run, and there would have been so shame in it; she had won and was already exhausted, but somewhere inside she knew she couldn't let it be, couldn't let it go; knowing she had to at least _try_  
>And in an instant she was there. The hollow was almost through the portal, which was already closing- only its tail was not through. Quickly, without hesitating, Erza dug her feet into the ground, grabbing a solid hold of the tail, pulling hard. The hollow roared, and the portal stopped closing.<p>

"_Let go, you filthy creature!"_ it cried.

"Never!" Erza shouted back, pulling harder. It was like pulling at a massive boulder- but she was shifting it, just barely, tugging the tail back inch by inch. The hollow struggled, thrashed, but didn't have much room to move- it was stuck, Erza stubbornly keeping it anchored in the Soul Society.  
>After at least a minute s worth of deadly tug-of-war, the portal widened, and Erza got a quick glance of what looked like a narrow cave, its mouth overlooking a colorless landscape- an all grey landscape, a desert stretching to the horizon. And then she could see it no more, because the hollow hopped forward through the portal, right back at her.<p>

Thinking on her feet, Erza grabbed its tail firmly, tugging even harder, and the creature, its momentum doubled by its own charge towards Erza, practically flew through the portal, tumbling over on its side. Quickly, Erza took the pipe in both hands, and hopped after it, sailing through the air. Almost- she was almost done. Exhaustion could wait. And again, for just a second, everything moved in slow motion. She could see the hollow lying on its back, its right arm hanging at a crooked, wrong angle. There was its ugly, scaled belly- and its soft-looking neck, with a lot of loose skin, hanging freely.

And down she came, slamming her weapon down onto its neck with all the strength she could muster. She could her nothing break- it was a dull, inoffensive kind of sound, like a club hitting a sack of potatoes. But damage had been done, no doubt, because the monster, scrambling to get up on its feet, was coughing, hacking, wobbling even as it got to its feet. It didn't even have a hateful retort- it just looked at her, and for the first time she was sure she had been right- there was fear in its eyes. Letting out a final battle cry, a roar from the tips of her toes up to her head, like an amazon she charged forward, finally losing herself entirely. She was all but spent, but this _had_ to be done, she _had_ to finish or she and everyone else was dead. The world became a blur, and she vaguely registered bringing her club up and down over and over, like a frenzied reaper cutting down harvest. She registered pain, in her arms and her body, but it wasn't hers, not hers at all- it was someone else whose arms ached, whose body was aching.

Later, she wouldn't remember anything at all of that moment, not what she thought or felt, only that she was doing what had to be done- it was all a blur, a fine, blood-covered mist on her memory.  
>And finally she stopped. Her arms slowed down, finally coming to a halt. And as if waking up from a dream, she saw the hollow- its head reduced to a bloody pulp, her clothes and face and arms covered in blood. Breathing heavily, she took a careful look at it, making sure it was dead. A closer inspection showed her there was no need to worry- its head was all but completely destroyed, its other arm shattered, presumably when it had tried to defend itself. She had done it- she had beaten it Exhausted, Erza fell down face first onto the brain-stained, bloody grass, finally allowing herself the luxury of unconsciousness.<p>

Shimura Shinpachi, Tenth seat of division six, looked down the hill, peering through his glasses. He had followed a distress call sent two days ago, regarding an especially vicious hollow preying on souls down in the forty-sixth district. It had already claimed several, he had been told, and was bold enough to linger here in the Soul Society. It could not be tolerated- he had set out, prepared to fight it to the death in the name of division six and Kuchiki Ginrei-taicho. He had traced its signature for miles- it had left a fairly obvious trace; it was bold, no doubt. And after hours and hours of tracking, he had found it, just past a hill, fluctuating. He had hurried to the hilltop. There were many things Shinpachi would have expected- maybe the monster toying with its prey, or wreaking havoc, or possibly fighting someone else- although he knew of no other shinigami in the vicinity.

It was no small surprise, then, to see the quickly dissolving corpse of a reptilian-looking hollow dissolving on the forest floor, its head beaten to a red, bloody unrecognizable mess. The mask was entirely gone, and judging by its reiatsu, the corpse would soon disintegrate. Hurrying down the hill, Shinpachi ran to get a closer look.

She was in limbo, some kind of non-awake state- not dreaming, but not conscious either. She couldn t feel her body, but her mind was hers, not subject to the whims of her subconscious. She was floating in a sightless nothingness, trying to gather her thoughts.  
>Who was she?<p>

_I am Erza Scarlet._

Why was she here?

_The hollow._ She reminded herself.

We won, didn't t we?

_If we didn't t, would we- I- be here?_

Then suddenly, she was hit by an enormous wave, a massive tide of data, of old memories showering across her very being. There were _names_. There were people, who she knew but didn't t quite remember.  
>Natsu Dragneel. Lucy Heartfilia. Gray Fullbuster. Master Makarov. Jellal Fernandes She remembered. She had been a mage in life, she had live in a guild, she had had friends and these were all their names-<p>

And then it all slipped, the data flickering away from her. It was like looking into a treasure chest, only for its lid to slam shut- she wanted to shout with frustration, but she couldn't t, couldn't t move or talk or feel-  
>And slowly, Erza awoke, opening her eyes. Quickly, she focused on her memories- Fairy Tail! Fairy Tail! Natsu Lucy Gray Jellal! She thought, feverishly burning what little she had left into her brain, as she came back to the world of the dead, feeling all the pain that came with it.<p>

"Uuurgh." She groaned. Now that she was conscious, she could feel every blow her body had taken- the injury in her side, bruises, and her arms hurt like crazy- she might as well have been run over by a train.  
>Trains. There had been trains.<p>

"Careful." It was a gentle voice, sounding young. She looked up. It was a man, wearing glasses, and a completely black kimono. He had a sword by his side, and was kneeling by her. "Don t strain yourself- you are very weak."

"Who are you?" She mumbled.

"Shimura Shinpachi." He said, applying some sort of salve to her wound. She wasn't near the hollow- she could still see it, but she herself had been moved to the edge of the glade. She noticed her kimono had been pulled down; she was almost naked. She glared at him. "I'm sorry." He said nervously. "You were in a bad state when I found you- you lost a lot of blood, and I had to treat you." "Makes sense." She murmured.  
>Shinpachi began applying a bandage, very carefully. "You almost completely burned out your reishi, you know that?" He said, in an almost chiding tone. "It s surprising you re still alive."<p>

"What would have happened if I did?"

"You would be dead." Shinpachi said. "Your body would have decayed, and your energy would have dispersed and become part of the Soul Society." "Oh." She said. She really had been reckless.

"I'm Erza Scarlet." She said finally.

"Pleased to meet you, miss Scarlet." He said courteously.

Then, something struck Erza. "Where s Kitsu?!" She exclaimed. The little boy- where had he gone? Had he lived- please God, let him be alive Who?

"A little boy!" She said emphatically, trying to sit up. Gently but firmly, Shinpachi pushed her down.

"The boy is fine." He said. "I told him to hide under a tree a bit further away- this isn't something children should see."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "So I really killed it?" He nodded. "You beat it to death. I can't really believe it myself." "I guess it was a very strong pipe." She said, smiling to herself.

He shook his head. "No- a simple weapon is just a conduit for your own power. You did this on your own. Remarkable, I have to say." "It was nothing special." He shook his head. "I wouldn't say so." He stood up. "Listen, I've cleaned your wounds and done what I can. I'll send a medic when I get back- but for now, I have to get back, and report." He smiled at her. Then, he reached into his kimono, and produced a small package. "Here- this is the food I prepared for myself later. You need it more than I do, and you already did my job for me. If you re sure you don t need it I am sure." He said, and bowed to her. "Please get a lot of rest, and eat when you re feeling stronger. Do not try to walk until you feel stronger. It would be a shame for you to succumb to your injuries after a feat like this." "I will. Thank you." She said, feeling a little surprised, receiving such kindness from a stranger.

"It was nothing." He said, turning around. "See you later, Miss Scarlet." With that, the man walked away, leaving Erza lying under her tree.  
>Erza took a deep breath, lying back. She still hurt, but she wasn't bleeding- it wasn't unbearable by any means. Closing her eyes, she took in everything. She had overcome her fear. She had faced the hollow, and she had beaten it- with brute force, no less. Out loud, she wouldn't have said so, but she was pretty impressed with herself- it felt special, and it probably was. She smiled, despite the aches in her body. The village would be safe, Kitsu would live, and so would she. And she alone had achieved this, by her own strength. In just this one moment, she allowed herself some pride, the feeling that she was good; good enough to fight off monsters, and good enough to be worth her place in the village. She had really done it.<p>

And somehow, her memories were coming back. The faces and names of her friends- she could still see them clearly, and while she had felt frustrated that the rest of it had slipped away from her, she decided to be hopeful- her memories would come back with time.

A little while later, little Kitsu came up to her, finally venturing up from his hiding place. He was all right, by the looks of him, except a nasty-looking gash on his arm.

"Sis." He said quietly, and it occurred to Erza that she must look terrible- beaten up, wounded, drying blood on her half-naked body, "it wasn t a great idea to come along, was it?"

"Shush." She said, trying to sound comforting. "We re both alive, and the monster is dead. That's all we need to think about."

"But, you-" Kitsu said, and she could hear him choking up.

That s _all_ we need to think about. She said firmly. "Sit down and get some rest. I should be able to walk tomorrow."

As it turned out, it took more than one night s worth of rest, and plenty of food and water, before Erza had recovered. By the next evening, Erza finally managed to stand, and felt well enough that starting a gingerly walk wouldn t be beyond her. It was remarkable to her- she remembered being injured before, when she was alive, and she would have expected it to take longer than this- but even though it hurt, the pain was somehow different- lesser, as if wounds weren t the same in the afterlife. That would be one bonus to being dead, at least.

It took a full two days for the two of them to walk back, slowly and carefully, stopping to rest very often. By the time she could see the village, they were both hungry- but they were back, safe at home. It was just as well- Kitsu s arm wasn t looking great, and she herself needed a bed.

And so finally, when they staggered back into the village, she was greeted by what looked like the entire village, waiting for her. Kitsu s mother, looking besides herself with worry, snatched the child, no doubt to lecture him, fuss over him, or both at once. Erza herself was left to account for what had happened- she knew she wasn t looking great, bloody, worn down and her clothes torn, but the news were good enough that nobody seemed to mind. People swarmed around her, cheering, shouting her name- she was Erza, the protector, the hero who killed the monster and got revenge. It took Erza quite some time to get the message through that what she needed most now was rest, and eventually she got back to her bed, where she collapsed into a deep, deep sleep.

The next day, she would wake to a bedside filled with gifts- food, new clothes, all sorts of useful trinkets, and on top of it all a medic in a shinigami s robes- Shinpachi had kept his promise, apparently.

The next two weeks were spent mainly in bed rest, Erza slowly recovering fully. As she recovered, as her wounds healed, she felt strong, as if the ordeal had left her a better fighter. Not much of anything happened- the village was quiet, and Erza slowly returned to normal life, doing what chores the villagers would let her, injured as she was. And eventually, a feast was held. Good food, drinks, and toasts in her honour- it made for memories worth remembering.

And so, some more time passed. Life was simple, but happy.

Life, of course, seldom remains simple for heroes.

"So you're tellin me," said warlord Amatsuki Kansei, peeling an apple, "that this _protector_ is keeping Farmsworth Village from paying their dues." He looked down at the thug before him- a petty little man who was ruthless and underhanded enough to have become leader of his own gang, the Blue Lizards. And currently, Kansei noted, failing in his duties.

"It can't be helped, my lord." The gang leader said, bowing his head deep. His name was Takami, or something like that- he couldn t remember why he had seen fit to promote this rat to begin with. "Whenever we try and get what's ours, she beats us up but good."

"So send more!" Kansei snapped irritably, brushing some dirt off his purple kimono. It was a fine thing, woven in silk and imported directly from the Gotei Thirteen, a symbol of his status.

"I tried that, my lord." Takami said. "The result was always the same."

Kansei bit into the apple. "You really are useless, you know that?"

"Yes, my lord!"

Kansei chewed slowly, pondering what to do. He had half a mind to have Takami killed- but finding halfway decent gang leaders was a pain in the ass, and he still brought in good money.  
>"Tell you what, Takami," he said, sounding menacing, "since you can't handle your own problems, I'm stepping in personally- I'm going to send a party of dependable men right there, get what we want, and then you'll make up for what you've lost from that shitty little village- with interest. Understood?"<p>

"Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!" Takami exclaimed, sounding relieved.

"Dismissed." Kansei said, making no effort to hide his contempt. Honestly, people these days...

Still, it wouldn't do to let anybody get away with defiance. If one village got uppity, then so could another, and another after that. They had to know their place- depending on how it went, he might have to make an example of them.

With a heavy thud, another thug slammed into the mud on the village's main street. Erza swung her pipe out to the side, readying herself to hit again. Twelve men already lay unconscious in the dirt, and the five that remained looked noticeably hesitant about continuing their attack. Twenty of them had come- big, burly, hard-boiled men, the kind that had 'thug' practically tattooed on their foreheads, the kind you'd see working for gang leaders, Legitimate Businessmen, or possibly law enforcement. They had all been better dressed than most bandits she had driven off, Erza had noticed, and they had carried themselves with a pride and confidence that was atypical for the local thieves, killers-for-hire and all around scum that could be found nearby.

One of them, tall, broad of shoulder, wearing a black-and-white kimono, stepped up, a long knife in his hand. You'll regret that, bitch. He snarled, and lunged forward, aiming to stab her.  
>Erza didn't bother knocking him over the head, simply catching his hand as it came in. The man struggled to push her back, but Erza was stronger, and soon he found himself pushed back- and then Erza twisted, pushed forward, and the man was on one knee. Erza held his hand in an iron grip, and he let out a small whine, struggling to break free.<p>

"That doesn't feel very good, does it?" Erza said coolly, and there was steel in her voice.

"N-no!" The thug said, desperately looking to his allies for help. His fellow thugs looked strangely preoccupied with the weather, the local architecture, or anything that wasn't the red-headed, buxom avatar of fury standing before them.

"Do you think the merchant whose stall you knocked over felt very good?" Erza said, tightening her grip. The man made a pained face.

"I- no!" He said, trying to pull himself free.

"You said everyone in the village was going to pay." She said, and the thug looked at her, a look of aw and dread in his face. "You said that we needed to learn some manners. Then you tried setting a house on fire."

"I- no-"

"Oh? You didn't?" Erza said, her grip tightening. The thug squealed with pain.

"No- no- we did, yes! Please let me go!"

"Who sent you?" Erza said, mercilessly keeping her grip on the man's hand.

"Warlord Amatsuki!" The man shrieked. "The village- you haven't been paying your dues!"

"Dues?" Erza said ferociously, glaring a you-are-about-to-suffer kind of glare.

"Everyone- ack!- pays up to the local boss, see? And the bosses pay up to the warlord. 'S how it works arrgharrgharrgh please-"

Finally, Erza let go of the man's hand, and the thug collapsed, clutching his squashed limb.

Erza turned to the seven remaining men, who had gone from hesitant to terrified.

"I'm warning you!" the closest one said, clutching a rusty, jagged sword. "We'll-"

What he would do would forever be a mystery, because Erza dashed forward, swatting aside his clumsy attack with ease, slamming her pipe down on his skull just hard enough that it wouldn't crack, but no lighter than that. He collapsed, but Erza wasn't done- she was already on the move to bring down the next. In a matter of seconds, she had beaten down three more, leaving them with black eyes, broken bones, and what would soon be very large, painful bruises.

Only three remained now- three ugly, vicious little thugs who had had the nerve to come to _her_ village and disrupt the peace, to bully and threaten...

"H-hey, I give up!" The closest one said, dropping his weapon- a simple club, nothing more. He held his hands up in surrender, and his two friends quickly followed suit.

For a moment, Erza felt the urge to smash their faces in anyhow- they were thugs, thieves, bullies, and probably far worse than that... but she repressed that sentiment, dismissing it as quick as it had come up. They might be low-lives, but she was not.

"Lord Amatsuki sent you, did he?"

Y-yes!" One of them stuttered. "Ya gotta understand miss, we don't got no choice- if we don't do as he says, we're dog food."

"Shut up!" Erza snapped. "You'll go back to him, and you'll tell him he's got no claim to this place. If he wants 'dues', then he can shove it- so long as I'm here, I'm not going to let people like you do whatever you want. Got that?"

"Yes, miss!" Soon, a train of moaning, badly bruised and humiliated thugs made its way out of her village. Erza sternly looked at them as they left, to remind them exactly why they were running- or rather, staggering- away with their tails behind their legs. Come what may, she would protect this place. It was her home now, full of people- people who deserved more than to live in fear.

The next day, Erza rose early, half prepared to fight off an invasion. Anyone who titled himself warlord was bound to have a big ego, and big egos were easily bruised. Instead, after having a simple breakfast, she found by the village gates not an invasion force, but a single man. He was well dressed, his black hair looking like it had received the attention of a professional recently. Judging by his blue-and-white kimono, he was probably rich- at least richer than the people who lived around here. He didn t look like he was carrying a weapon, but Erza wasn t one to take any risks. Brandishing her pipe, she walked closer.

"Who are you?" She demanded, her tone stern and to the point.

"Oh, how dangerous you sound." The man said, sounding amused. His voice was light, almost effeminate. "No wonder you sent the boys packing the other day." He looked her up and down. "But oh my, you're quite the beauty, aren't you? You should smile more often."

"I said, who are you? Erza said, ignoring his comments.

"I'm Sagun." The man said, bowing deeply- not without a strong hint of mockery, Erza suspected. "I work for his grace, the most enlightened warlord Amatsuki Kansei."

In an instant, Erza held her pipe up, ready to do battle. The man just waved his hands though, saying,  
>"Now now, I'm not a fighter. Anything but, to be honest! I only serve as his grace s emissary. His voice, if you will." He waved his hand theatrically.<p>

"And what does his voice want with me?"

"His grace wishes to know why you have stolen his property." Sagun said, chuckling slightly.

I've stolen nothing. She said, slowly lowering her pipe. She sensed no particular power from this man- if he pulled out a concealed weapon, she would handle it.

"Oh, but you have." He gestured towards the village. "This village rightfully belongs to my lord, and look what you did- snatching it right out from under him. Naughty, naughty! This village would supply the Blue Lizards with a lot of crops, water, and tools and here you are, greedily keeping it for yourself."

"I'm not keeping anything, and these people belong to themselves. I'm only here to protect them."

"Oh!" Sagun exclaimed, giggling slightly. "A knight in shining armour? Well, sir Knight, you may have beaten a lot of weaklings- but strength can only take you so far. You are given this one chance- this one and only chance-"

"No". Erza said flatly.

You didn t even let me finish. Sagun said, pouting. "Well, I'll finish anyway- you have one chance: go away now, and you ll be free to go."

"And this village?"

"Oh, they d have to pay some penalty fees, I imagine. They are overdue with their payments, after all. Don t worry, though- they wouldn t be killed. Dead souls cannot pay. Well, not that many, at least."

_"No."_

Sagun sighed. "I figured you d say that. "And suddenly, his leisurely tone, his glib face dropped, and he continued, "so here s the deal: you re going to die. We have people who can fight- fight for real. And when you're beaten, we'll make you watch as we kill everyone in here. Except two or three, who will live to tell the tale of what happens to those who refuse the authority of lord Amatsuki. And when that s done, you'll die, slowly."

Erza grit her teeth, staring at him, the grip on her pipe tightening.

"You-"

"One week." He said, pointing his finger at her. "One week. When that's out, everyone here will die." He turned around, slowly walking out of the village grounds. "One week, sir Knight!"

Erza watched him leave, her body trembling with rage. Everyone here dead- because she had done what she knew was right, protected those who couldn t protect themselves. And because she had, they would die.

She couldn't let that happen, not ever. Gripping her pipe tightly, she hurried back to old man Getsu.

The old man had just woken when Erza had come to him, explaining the state of things. The old man nodded, listening, finally suggesting they take this to the village head. Erza hadn t known they had one- but apparently there was, for situations like these. Or something like it. And soon, they were before the village head, an elderly, balding man, wearing clothes just as worn and dirty as any of the villagers. His name was Katani, Erza remembered.

"This is dire." He mumbled. "I -I don t know what we should do. We can't very well evict you- you ve done so much for us."

"And they d kill us anyway, you know that!" Getsu snapped.

"Yes, yes," Katani murmured. "I am at a loss- what can we do?"

"We- _I _take it to them. He said one week- I ll go find them long before that."

"Erza!" Getsu said, his eyes widening. "You can't- it'll be too much, even for you!"

"What choice do we have?" Erza said grimly. "Something has to be done- and I d rather die trying to do something than curl up and die."

"In that case," Katani said, let us at least give you what we can, yes?"

"I'm listening." Erza said, nodding.

Genzi the guardsman was having a day as good as any. It was simple- sit on your ass until the boss said not to, and keep an eye out for people coming to the gates. This place was nice- not really a palace or a fortress (not that that s something anybody would say to the big boss), but it had thick walls and nobody really bothered them. Solid job- he got paid, and that was as much as he could ask for.

Which was why his day suddenly took a turn for the worse when he saw the stranger approaching the gates.

At first he couldn t quite make out what kind of person it was, but as the figure got closer, the outline got clearer: It was a woman, most definitely a woman. She wore black pants, simple sandals, and her chest was covered with white wraps. Over her shoulders was draped a bright red cloak of some kind, lined with orange, held together with a metal band of some sort. She had bright red hair, and carried an iron pipe. And suddenly it clicked in his mind that this looked exactly like the girl the others had been talking about, the one that had the big boss all rattled- and quickly, he scrambled to his feet, leaning over the wall, shouting, "Oi! Stop!"

The woman ignored him, walking right up to the gate.

"I said stop!" Genzi cried, not really sure what he was supposed to do. "You ain t welcome here-"

Erza simply raised her arm, and let her spiritual energy rise. The gates looked sturdy, made of wood- but that wouldn t be much of a bother. Blazing her power on full for just a second, she took a swing at the gate.

There was a thunderous boom, and the gates rattled. Genzi was knocked off his feet, and when he got up he saw the gates, blasted off their hinges, lying broken inside the fortress. Deciding that shouting no longer was in his best interest, he kept his head down.

As the dust began to settle, Erza surveyed the scene. It was a crude fortification- thick, wooden walls all around, set on high ground, big boulders naturally part of its defense. Inside were several houses, what looked like barns, perhaps an armoury- and it was teeming with people, most of them carrying weapons. She felt an anger inside her- one she had let build up on her way there, carefully cultivated. It was a good way of pushing away the thoughts of how _stupid_ it would be to charge headlong into the lion s den alone. Stepping forward, she took a moment to try and sense for spiritual energy. There were lots of little fires- bigger than that of the villagers she knew from home, but compared to her they were like matchsticks next to a torch. Maybe then, just maybe, she could do this

The soldiers, who had been shocked frozen by her sudden appearance, began to react. Massing like one, into a large crowd, they brandished their weapons- jagged swords, clubs, hatchets, axes. They wore a wide variety of clothes, better done than any she had seen in the village- stolen, probably. More men were streaming out of the house, and the crowd was only getting bigger. Time to do something

"I have come for Amatsuki Kansei!" She declared loudly, and with more boldness than she really felt. Get out of my way, and you will not be hurt. She smacked the pipe against her palm, ready to charge.

"That's some nerve." One of the men in the front said. "One lil girl, full of herself cos she beat up some losers, comin to beat the lot of us?"

There was a wave of approving jeers from the men in the crowd, and it was obvious they weren t backing down. Not that Erza had counted on it. The hard way it was, then.

"Get her!" The command came, and the men advanced, brandishing their weapons. Erza steeled herself. However strong she was, there would be no way for her to win if she got surrounded, bogged down- no, there was only one way: shock and awe.

Instantly, she let her reiatsu rise and flare. The dust on the ground around her swirled and scattered, but Erza didn t notice- she had time only to feel the vicious, brutal cruelty of a melee. Putting one foot in front of the other, she hopped forward. She couldn t stop this charge, not let the momentum falter for one moment. She had to break through, or she would be weighed down, beaten.

And like a white-hot knife through butter, she carved through the mass of men, each swing from her pipe sending one of them flying, the momentum of her charge carrying her ever forward, almost as if there were no-one there to stop her. Erza swung, struck, hit, like a lumberjack cutting at an especially contemptible tree, and before she knew it, she had passed right through the crowd. Snapping out of her focus for just one second, she saw what she had wrought: at least a dozen men lay on the ground, groaning or unconscious. The crowd had turned to face her, but suddenly looked much less confident. Not letting them take the time to reconsider, Erza bore down on them like a fury, her weapon slamming into one fighter after another. Very carefully, she made sure not to go too far, staying at the crowd s outskirts, dodging the occasional counterattack.

It went on for nearly ten minutes, the crowd of men every now and then getting its courage back, rallying to fight her- and each time, she broke away, finding a new angle to fight, never getting cornered. Whatever memories she had lost, she still remembered how to fight, as it if was written into every cell in her body.

And then, finally, when the little fort s courtyard was full of broken bodies- broken, not dead- they seemed to lose their appetite for combat. Crying out in despair, with phrases like "She's a monster!" , or "It s no use!" , they turned tail and fled, scattering to whatever shelter they might find. Good.

Walking further in, still on alert, Erza looked around. It was impressive in a way how this was built- this afterlife seemed to have almost none of the technology she remembered, but still this had been built; people had organized and made it happen.  
>And instead of being used for defense, it was being used to oppress. She grit her teeth.<p>

Her musings were soon interrupted, though, by a loud, boisterous voice.

"That s far enough, young lady!"

She looked toward the voice. It was a man- a ludicrously tall man, probably no shorter than eight feet. His sleeveless kimono showed off bulging muscles, and his bald head showed scars, enough that it at least gave the impression that his look wasn t just for show. And more importantly, she could feel some strength in him- definitely much more than from the punks she had just trashed.

The man pointed at her, with a large, wooden club- it looked more like a small tree, actually- and said,  
>"You go no further than this! I am Junei, his lordship s bodyguard- you will not pass!"<p>

"Out of my way." Erza said coldly.

"Over my dead body!" The man exclaimed. "You may have beaten the others- but I am not like them. I will crush you, for my master!"

Erza stood up straight, not really bothering to take a stance. "Come on, then."

Junei charged, and he really was faster than he looked- but she was not impressed. Quickly, she let her reiatsu rise. Junei s club came down, and it shattered, breaking in two where it hit Erza across her shoulder.

"What- you-" The giant said, bewildered. "Impossible!"

Erza jumped, and slammed a foot into the man s chest, releasing a burst of reiatsu as she did. He staggered back, toppling into a wall.

"You come to my home, and threaten my people with slavery and death." She said coldly. _"Just who the hell do you think I am?!"_

Junei grunted, mumbling something incoherent.

"Don t get up." Erza said, walking past him.

Erza walked further in, into the largest building inside the fortification s walls- no doubt where the warlord was hiding. She felt surprised at how easy it had been so far- that bodyguard, she had felt his power as he struck and felt like there was no force behind his attack at all. Was he weak, or was she strong?

Deciding not to get distracted, she looked around. Here inside, there was a great hall- high ceiling, with little window hatches letting light in. It was poorly lit, though, the rays of light only emphasizing how many shadowy corners there were. There was a rug on the floor, long and large, and towards its end there was a chair- large, and probably quite expensive by the standards of this district. And sitting upon it was a man, who looked not old, but certainly not young. Black hair, tied in a ponytail, with a thin mustache. He wore a purple kimono, and had a sword by his side. Was this he?

"Amatsuki Kansei?" Erza said, walking up closer.

"You're Erza Scarlet." The man said, sounding irritated. "Yes, it is me- and you ve caused me quite a few problems, little girl."

"I came to warn you. Erza said resolutely." Leave my village alone, or-"

"Or what?" The warlod spat. "You beat a lot of people, but you didn t kill anyone- I ain t afraid of threats from softies."

"I'll turn you over to the Gotei Thirteen."

Kansei laughed, long and hard. "Oh, that s a good one!" He wiped a tear from his eye. "Priceless, girl, priceless- but that s enough. You ve done too much already- I m gonna have to make an example out of you."

"If that s the way it has to be." Erza said, holding her pipe up.

"I won't fight you myself." He said, snapping his fingers. "Tokkun here'll do that just fine."

From out the shadows stepped another man- one she hadn t sensed at all before, nor seen. Her eyes widened- he wore a black kimono and black pants, just like that Shinpachi had- was he too a shinigami? But he looked different. His face was thin and scarred, and he had the look of a man with no scruples or hesitations. His uniform was tattered, worn and raggedy, and he looked lean and lanky. His hair was light brown, neatly tied up.

"Good day." He said curtly, but with a sharp tone. "I am Toku. As fate would have it, I am required to kill you."

"Are you a shinigami?" She said, readying herself. "Why are you with these people?"

"I left that title behind a long time ago." Toku said, drawing his sword. Slowly, he walked up towards her, and Erza tried to assess what she could. He moved with confidence, showing the signs of a practiced fighter- well balanced, good posture, his sword held low.

"So now you re a sellsword?" She held her pipe up, as if it were a sword. This was not great- a sword was the better weapon in every instance.

"One must still make a living." He said dispassionately, and quickly, like a striking snake, he lunged. Only reflex saved her- quickly, she took a step back, just barely catching his blade as it stabbed forward, redirecting it past her neck. There was no over commitment to exploit, though, no more force in the attack than necessary- and like lightning, he stabbed, again, again, again. Stepping back, again and again, Erza parried.

There was no room to really think. There was no room to do anything but fight, try to stay alive, try not to be cut down. She had fought since she had come to this afterlife, and fought well- but those had been thugs, unrefined and weak. There had been the hollow, but it had been huge, so much slower to fight. This man, this ex-shinigami was quick on his feet, and fought with precision and form- rapid thrusts, followed by feints, quick slashes, repeating over and over.

Finally, she managed to catch the blade for just a split second, pushing back. Quickly she lashed out with her foot, kicking at his knee. Toku stepped back, keeping his balance, but the momentum of his attack was broken, and she was not about to let him take it back. Letting out a loud cry, she hopped forward, slamming her pipe down on him with brute force. That was the one thing she had, force- and she had to capitalize on any advantage she could get.

Toku, looking unimpressed, caught her wild swing as it came down, let it slide down the length of her blade, and Erza s attack bounced off. Before she could turn back, Toku moved forward lightning fast, cutting- and Erza felt the unmistakable, burning flash of pain. She staggered back, clutching at her side, where blood was flowing freely.

"My apologies." Toku said, swatting the blood off his sword.

"I'm not done yet!" She said, gritting her teeth. This was going badly- up till now, she had been able to rely on strength alone, but this man had enough power to at least match her own, and he was fast and experienced.

"Very well." The man said, charging forward. It was hell- it had been hard to parry before, her instincts having served her just well enough to counter his strikes, but now, every movement she made, made her body burn with pain, blood spilling down her side with every heartbeat. Desperately, she parried, trying to stay alive.  
>Toku came down with a hard slash from above, and she tried to parry- but at the last second, he feinted, and stabbed forward. She moved her head aside, narrowly avoiding a fatal wound. Again he came, with strong, slower slashes, hammering down on her. Desperately, she lashed out, trying to make something happen- but with calm and precision, he caught her attack, used its momentum, and made her swing go high. Quickly, before she could raise her guard, he slashed again, this time across her chest- another inch, and it would have been her neck.<p>

Erza groaned, staggering backward. This was no good. The pipe was too heavy, too poor a suit to a sword, and this man was experienced, a good swordsman. What could she really do?

Then, an idea came to her- a crazy, desperate idea

Looking as if she was about to collapse, she let her arms slacken, her weapon lowering.

"Finish her!" Amatsuki commanded, and Toku lunged forward. The sword stabbed forward, stabbing into her gut-

And then, just as she could feel it begin to pierce her, Erza lunged forward with her left hand, grabbing Toku by the wrist. The sword had run through her, but she had a firm grip. Roaring, screaming with pain and anger, she raised her right hand, and let the pipe come down. Toku tugged, desperately trying to dodge- but there was no way out, not with Erza s grip. The pipe slammed into Toku s head, once, twice, three times, and the swordsman collapsed, blood running from his forehead.

Erza breathed heavily, trying to stay on her feet. The swordsman was down, but the sword was still in her- this would hurt Firmly grabbing the blade with both hands, she pulled it out, centimeter by centimeter. It hurt; she felt like she would lose consciousness there and then- but she grit her teeth, forced herself to focus, and finally the sword came out. It burned, more blood pouring out- but she wasn t done. And now, she had a weapon. Slowly, she grabbed the weapon s hilt, the familiar feeling of a blade resonating with her through the pain. She looked up. The warlord looked shocked- she was still there, still standing. Putting one foot of the other, sword in hand, she walked towards him. Pain or no pain, blood or no blood, she couldn t stop here.

"Wait! He cried. Don t you dare-"

The look on her face silenced him. It was a look of doom, of fury, pain and general unpleasantness. Fumbling, Amatsuki grabbed his own sword. He managed to draw it, but Erza swatted it aside. She slammed the hilt of her sword into his forehead, and the warlord sunk to his knees. Erza grabbed him by the collar, pulling him up.

"Destroy the village, was it?"

"To hell with you! Amatsuki spat."

"Your rule ends here." Erza said, shoving him back to the floor.

"You better kill me, then." Amatsuki said, letting out a wheezing laugh. "Go on, then- there s no way I'll let those people live!"

Erza raised her sword. It would be easy- one strike, and one evil man would be dead. Everyone would be safe. One death for many lives. It should be right.

But she hesitated, because she knew it wasn t. It couldn t be.

"Go on, then!" Amatsuki roared. What do you think you'll do? Hand me over to the shinigami? They don t care! They d never convict me- hell, I got an understanding with them!"

Erza s grip on the sword tightened, but finally, she lowered her blade.

"I knew it." Amatsuki said, spitting at her. He looked less than impressive on the floor, beaten and pitiful, but he didn't quite act like he had lost at all. And to be quite honest, she couldn t say she had won. What could she do?

"Well then," Amatsuki said, getting to his feet, "unless you intend to do something, then I think-"

And suddenly, his voice was cut short, ending in a wheeze. Erza snapped out of her thoughts, looking at the man. He had collapsed, a pool of blood forming where he lay. Behind him stood a short woman, no taller than five feet. She wore black, and her face was cold and hard.

"What?!" Erza exclaimed. "You- you killed him!"

"I did what you did not have the courage to do." The assassin said indifferently, shrugging. "Holding a deserter- he really should have known better."

"What about the people he killed?" Erza demanded.

"I do not answer to commoners."

With that, the woman turned around, leaving a bewildered Erza behind.

Elsewhere, in an office in the Gotei Thirteen, seventh seat Nakita of division six was looking through the papers of a recent report.

"You say the hollow was dead when you arrived?" He said, addressing the young lad before him- Shimura.

"Yes, sir." Shimura nodded.

"And this girl had killed it?"

"Woman, sir. Definitely a woman."

Nakita shrugged. "So some random soul beat a hollow to death. With a metal pipe."

"That is the assessment I will stand by, sir."

Nakita nodded, intrigued. "Interesting. Make a note of her- what was her name?"

"Erza Scarlet, sir."

Nakita couldn t help but feel curious. Then again, it was a curiosity that would be sated soon- recruitment season was just around the corner.

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><p><strong>Longest chapter I've uploaded onto this site yet, and I'm rather happy greatkingrat88 was able to make it as long as it is. This chapter just goes to show that Erza is a complete and utter badass even <em>without<em> her sword. **

**Now, im sure your asking why she had such a hard time with the hollow as well as Toku. They should be easy for her to eat. Well, they are...if she was as strong as she was before she died. **

**In this case, death has made her significantly weaker than she was when she was alive. She's still strong, don't get me wrong, killing a hollow with a pipe is proof of that, but she's got a ways to go before she reaches her old level of power. **

**As for why she wasn't good enough to beat Toku with skill alone? Well, since her memory has been effected by her death, she has lot a good portion of her memory on how to wield weapons. She still has some memory left, more than just the basics, so she's more skilled than the average swordsmen, but Toku's had many MANY years of experience. Its only natural.**

**Fear not however, Erza WILL be getting back to her old level of power eventually,...and may get even stronger then that.**

**Also, don't worry, Cannon BLEACH characters will be appearing soon. It wouldn't really be a crossover with them gone now would it? And rest assured, she will be interacting with them plenty once they do.**

**Thanks again for taking your time to read this. I would REALLY appreciate it however if you left a review. Any and all input is welcome and lets me know if we're (me and greatkingrat88) are doing a good job.**

**Also, if you have any questions regarding this story, or even ideas, please feel free to PM them to me or leave them in a Review.**

**Thanks again and have a nice day.**


	4. A Scene Of Learning

****BLEACH is owned by Tite Kubo, Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. ****I own...Nothing. :(****

**Sorry for Not Updating for so long. Work was rather crazy for me this week. XD**

**Once again, Thanks to GreatKingrat88 for writing this and thank YOU, dear reader for deciding to read this story. I greatly appreciate it.**

* * *

><p>Erza was sitting back on a bench, enjoying the sunlight. It had been almost a month since she beat the bandit lord, and though she had been injured- she didn't even remember how she got back; she had woken up lying in the middle of the village, where she had lain until the villagers had found her, dressed her wounds and put her in a sickbed- she had recovered quickly. Surprisingly quickly, actually- she remembered more and more about what it had been like when she had been human, and bigger injuries generally didn't go away in just a month, unless there was some healing magic around to speed up the process. Yet here she was, dressed in no bandages aside from the<em> sarashi<em>, the wraps around her chest. And though she still ached in certain places, though she still made sure not to overexert herself, she was, on the whole, fine. Her body was healing, the crisis was averted, the day had been saved, and things were generally peaceful. A ruffian or two had stirred up trouble since then, but just the look of her had scared them away.

Yes, word had spread. She wasn't just Erza Scarlet, one soul among many in her district. She was Erza Scarlet, the protector who broke the great warlord Amatsuki. People knew her name now, and there was word from other villages- people asking her to put out this and that fire, chase out bandits, fight hollows, find lost cats… And while it was very, very busy work if she replied to it- so far, she had cited health- it didn't feel wrong. Being appreciated for doing the right thing, protecting those who needed it, it felt… right. It was something she'd done before, when she was alive, she was sure of it. It was like it was who she was meant to be.

Erza's quiet reflections were interrupted, as she sensed two sources of spirit energy- pretty significant ones at that.

She frowned, looking down the street. Through the village gates, she could see four people walking in. All of them wore black- the same dye of black that she knew shinigami wore. And all of them carried swords at their sides, long blades, and they carried themselves with the confident gait of soldiers. Making sure that her pipe was within arm's reach, Erza stood up, waiting for them to get closer. Not that she really expected them to attack- but you never knew, and it was better to be safe than to be sorry.

As they came closer, she got a better look. The man in the lead had greying hair, broad shoulders, and his face gave her a

very down-to-business kind of expression. At his side, she saw a short fellow with sand blond hair, a muscular, balding man, and- well, the fourth one she knew. Shinpachi. Erza relaxed herself a bit. He was a decent sort, as far as she knew; he had sent her that medic like he promised, helped her back then…

Still, no cause not to be cautious. Deciding to not let herself be intimidated or impressed by these new arrivals, she assumed what she hoped was a casual pose, while keeping her eyes fixed on the approaching shinigami.

Finally, all four of them stood before her. There was a tense silence, neither she nor the grey-haired leader willing to speak up first. Finally, she said,

"What's your business here?"

"I am Konjiro Tokiku. Sixth division, eighth seat, as well as in charge of recruitment."

"Is that so?" Erza said. Well, at least they weren't hostile- probably.

"It is." Konjiro said. "We've heard of you, Erza Scarlet. The Gotei Thirteen is not uninterested in a soul capable of beating a class five hollow to death- or singlehandedly overthrowing a warlord, for that matter. You have potential- but it's raw an untempered."

"So I should join with you lot?" Erza said. Something about the idea irritated her. She knew of the Gotei only what the villagers had told her- and it wasn't very flattering.

"You would get the chance to hone your skills to perfection, under good pay, while serving a good cause. Is there something objectionable about that?"

"You know," Erza said resolutely, "as far as 'good causes' go, I think I'm all right here. When that hollow came, none of your people were here. People died, and nicolas cage knows how many more would have if I hadn't been there. As for money-well, I don't need it." That last part wasn't entirely true. She and the village both could use more of it- they weren't dirt poor, but they were far from rich.

"You should think carefully." Konjiro said, and there was a funny look on his face. "This is a good offer- not a lot of people get sought out like this either."

"Well, doesn't that just make me special?" Erza said, almost sarcastically. "And what if I just say no?"

"You may not want to find out." He said, and there was something about his tone- just a slight change in his voice, subtle but obviously present. "We can offer you much- I think it could be safe to say that, in time, you would deeply regret turning the Gotei down."

"Is that so?" Erza said coldly, balling her fists. Quickly, she glanced down at her iron pipe. Easy enough to reach…

And as if Konjiro had read her mind, he casually put a hand on his sword. Not on the hilt, as if he were about to draw it, but on the sheath- innocent enough, but it spoke volumes to her.

"Senpai, please," Shinpachi said hastily, taking a step forward. "Let me talk to her."

Konjiro glared at him. "Don't get full of yourself, boy."

"Let me try." He said insistently. "I know her from before, remember? More flies with honey, you know?"

Konjiro nodded. "As you wish. We'll be waiting by the gates, then." With that, Konjiro turned around, the shinigami following in his tow.

"Shinpachi." Erza said, not sure how to feel. She knew he wasn't a bad person- but she didn't care for the tone of his superior at _all._

"Let's sit down." He said gently, gesturing to a bench nearby. Slowly, Erza followed him, and they both sat down.

"You know, that's a nice iron pipe." He began. "You worked wonders with it. But your hands are made for the hilt of a sword- I know it. You're not just any soul who grabbed a blunt instrument, desperately fighting come what may. You're a fighter. A warrior. And warriors, at least here in the Soul Society, should carry swords."

"It's not about me." Erza said, feeling a stubborn need to be contrary rise. Who were these people? What nerve did they have to come to her home, and act like they owned the place?

"No, I suppose not…" Shinpachi said quietly. He looked her in the eyes, and smiled. "It's about the people you want to protect, isn't it?"

Erza nodded. "I… I don't want to sound arrogant, but I'm the strongest around. And there's bandits, hollows, all sorts of things… what would happen if I weren't here?"

"Erza," Shinpachi said solemnly, "you are strong. With training, I am confident that you will be at least a single digit seated officer- and we receive quite a handsome pay check. Protection… it's easy to think of it like standing between people and a monster, sword in hand, but it can take many forms. If you've got money and status, it can go a long way to help people too. If you come far enough, you could even protect multiple villages, and bandits would run scared just knowing an officer would personally come after them if they tried anything. You don't have to give these people up."

"Is that true?" Erza shook her head. "It sounds nice, but I'm not sure… life's not that simple."

"It's true it wouldn't be as easy as it were if you were here all the time." Shinpachi nodded. "But in the long run, if you achieve your full potential, the good you can do means a lot more than the good you can do now. Come with us- train,learn, push yourself past your limits… and maybe even trade that pipe for a sword."

Erza leaned back, staring up into the sky. Training, getting better… there was something about it that felt appealing. She had been strong in life, she was sure of it, and getting better was something she'd always strived for. But still, this was… home, of a kind.

"And if I say no?" This was the crucial question.

Shinpachi sighed. "The Gotei does not like power not under their control. You just beat a warlord- what might you do next?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's not what I think." He said hastily. "But it's the way they view potential threats. It's an order that's a thousand years old, and staying in power that long made policies a bit… paranoid."

"So what could happen?"

"I can't say for sure. But strong people who won't co-operate could easily become an enemy of the Gotei. And enemies of the Gotei… tend to die."

"They could try."

"And they'd succeed." Shinpachi said plainly. "You're strong- but there are people who could mop the floor with you like you'd beat down a little kid."

"So why would I want to join people like those?"

"Because there are good people there, too. Because you can do a lot of good, because what we do keeps the worlds in balance… there's a dozen good reasons. The decision is yours, but it will be difficult if you turn us down."

"I'll think about it." Erza said. Stall, stall for time for now- this was uncomfortable enough, coming out of nowhere, and she needed to think.

"All right." Shinpachi nodded, and stood up. "I'll come back tomorrow- is that time enough?"

"Sure." She mumbled.

"All right then. Good luck, Erza-san." And with that, he walked down to the gates, to his companions. His superior did not seem all too happy, but Shinpachi spoke with him, and whatever he said was apparently good enough. Soon, they were all gone from the village, leaving a confused, irritated Erza. Just an hour ago, things had been fine. They had been dandy before these… shinigami had decided to just walk in here like they owned the place- like they owned her. And now she had a choice to make, and there was no getting away from it. Trying to shake her bad mood off, she went back into the house, where old man Kitsu was sitting, doing nothing in particular. Some sagely advice would be nice right now, and although the old man was not sagely per se, he would just have to do.

Erza sat down, and apparently her mood was not well masked; before long Kitsu spoke up: "Is something the matter, dear child?"

"No." She shook her head. "Well, yes- there were some shinigami here just now, and they want me to join them, and there's kind of an 'or else' attached to the offer."

"Oh dear." Getsu said, frowning, and his wrinkled face got more wrinkled still. "Or else?"

"They said 'difficult'. It would be 'difficult' if I said no. One of them, the one who helped me back then, with the hollow, said they think of people who are strong as enemies- if they're not allies."

Getsu spat, and nodded. "That sounds like them, all right. A bunch of simpleminded thugs who see everything in black and white, that's the shinigami."

"So what do I do? I don't really want to go- but they said I could help you if I did. They said there'd be good money-that that could help you all even more." She paused. "Would it?"

Getsu grumbled, and nodded. "Money can get you a lot of things. Food, tools, even protection." He looked at her, and there was a glimmer in his eye. "Child, listen. You are strong- much stronger than I thought. I never thought anybody out here could kill a monster like that hollow back then, but you managed. I thought the warlord was absolutely powerful, but you knocked him off his throne in an afternoon. You're meant for bigger things than this- and maybe, just maybe, the Gotei Thirteen is the path you need to walk to get there."

Erza blinked. "Didn't you say they were a bunch of simpleminded thugs?"

"Ah, yes- but as much as we hate them for not being here, for protecting nobles more than us- there's still good people there. And more importantly," he said, grinning mischievously, "you could always get as strong as possible- stronger than any of their lot- and then rebel all you please. With training and strength under your belt, I don't think many of them could threaten you."

"That… I hadn't thought about that." Erza said thoughtfully. "Yeah, I could do that- go there, be one of them… and if I don't like them, then to hell with them."

"Good girl." Getsu said happily. "Just don't lose your way- remember who you are, and don't let them tell you who to be."

"I'd never let them." Erza said determinedly. "Thanks, old man- I think I'll have walk. Clear my head some."

"You do that, child." Getsu said.

Erza's walk turned out to be rather long- in fact, it carried her far outside the village, into the now (somewhat)

familiar forests. By the time she got back, the moon was high in the sky, and all lay in their beds fast asleep. And all that time, Erza had thought, long and hard, gotten herself mentally accustomed with the idea of becoming part of an organization she knew little about, except that they were powerful and didn't seem to care about the people worth a dime. She was strong. But strength was relative, and compared to the people she might meet, she might be weak. But even so, she would give it her all, to grow and reach a pinnacle, to be the best she could be. And then, if she gained anything like real power, she could use it to help the people here… maybe even change the system from within. It was the Fairy Tail way-never give up, never do ill. A part of her thought that maybe changing people like those would be impossible- but she quickly pushed that aside. If it would be hard, she would just have to try harder. That was the Fairy Tail way of doing things, and it was her way of doing things.

As she walked through the main street of the village, the moonlight painting a pale and almost surreal picture with its pale, bleak palette of colors, she made her mind up. She would leave here- but she would come back. She would train, get stronger, and find her own way in this afterlife.

As promised, Shimura Shinpachi came by the next day, alone this time. It was early morning, and Erza was waiting for him just outside her house, standing tall in the street. She watched him come closer with trepidation, anxiety- and excitement. He was like a harbinger of change, if she were to allow herself a bit of drama- he represented the next step in her journey.

"Good morning, Miss Erza." He said politely as he came closer, finally standing in front of her.

"Morning."

"I won't bother with small talk- that's not what I am here for. Have you made a decision?"

She nodded. "I have."

After short silence, he said, "…and that choice is?"

"I will accept your offer." She said resolutely, balling her fists. "I'll come with you. I'll train, get strong- and if I don't like the Gotei, then I won't stay."

Shinpachi smiled. "I'd like to say that an attitude like that won't get you far in the Gotei Thirteen- there are strict rules, and our Captain Commander has little patience for insubordination. But in reality, some of our finest are rowdy and anarchic, too- there will be a place where you'll fit in, even if you end up resenting our organization."

"…good, then." Erza mumbled. "Are we supposed to go right now? I don't want to leave without saying goodbye."

"I'm not heartless, you know." Shinpachi said. "We're not in a rush- we've got two days, if we need it. Say your goodbyes, and we'll walk back when you're ready."

"Thanks." Erza said, a little relieved.

And so, after packing some very few, meagre belongings, Erza summoned what villagers were around, before it was time for work. They had already known what the shinigami from yesterday had come to ask- gossip spreads fast in a small village.

Heartfelt well-wishing was given, a few tears were shed by the village children, and Erza assured them she'd be back one day- and just like that, there was no more reason to delay. Finally, she headed for the village gates, for the last time in a long while. But not forever, she reminded herself- not forever.

"Shall we?" Shinpachi asked.

Erza just nodded. They began walking, Shinpachi leading the way. Erza felt odd; parts sad, parts excited, parts guilty for leaving these people behind. Shinpachi seemed to understand well enough to keep quiet, to leave her to her thoughts, and Erza appreciated it. Quietly, the two of them walked, walked all day, stopping only to eat, and eventually sleep.

On the second day, Erza began to wonder just how far it had to be- she considered asking, but felt it unnecessary. They'd get there when they got there; no need to fuss. And just past lunch time, she saw it in the distance. It was a white city, almost gleaming, so incredibly large that it seemed to cover half the horizon, from where she stood. As they got closer, she tried her best to take it all in- streets, barracks, houses, spires, people scuttling about in the distance, tiny little figures in black uniforms on patrol, growing less tiny as she got closer. It was a military hub, all right- people marching, people training, people standing guard; it all looked clearer to her as she got closer. It was at once beautiful and intimidating.

Eventually, they got close, finally entering the city. Shinpachi passed a guard, a veritable giant, and after showing him some papers, they headed into the city itself. It was a little overwhelming. Whoever built the city built it well; the architecture was foreign to her, but beauteous to look at- but at the same time it conveyed a hardness, an impression of strength and solidity. It was full of straight lines, built to be practical, probably by the hand of an architect with a military purpose in mind. It was overwhelming, each building so much taller, so much a part of a structure larger than herself. Which was probably intentional, now that she thought of it.

Quickly, she shook off those feelings. She wasn't afraid. This was new and she didn't know her place in this world, but that was all it was.

Finally speaking up, she said,

"So… where exactly are we going?"

"I'll drop you off at the academy." Shinpachi said.

"The academy?"

"All shinigami must endure years of training." Shinpachi explained. "In three years' time, you will be a fully-fledged shinigami. For now, you are but a novice- a child."

"A child, huh?" Erza said, not caring much for that thought.

"Be humble before your tutors, that's my advice. You may be stronger than most, but you lack skill and knowledge- as do all new recruits. Well, almost all."

Well, true enough, but it didn't stop her from frowning a little.

She was led through the streets, and after a while- a rather long while, it felt like- they reached a sturdy-looking white building, large and expansive. There seemed not to be a lot of shinigami around, but plenty of men and women with white shirts. The men wore black pants, she noticed, while the women wore red.

"This is the academy." Shinpachi said. "And it will be your new home for a while."

"…I see." She mumbled, still taking it all in. So much was new, so much was alien.

"And this is where I leave you."

"Wait, what?"

"Go straight into that building, and tell them you're a recruit. Your name should be in there- they'll give you a room and a uniform. Everything will be sorted, don't worry."

"I…"

"You'll do fine, I know it." Shinpachi said gently. "But duty calls. I will see you later, Miss Erza."

With that, he turned around, and walked away.

"Bye." She mumbled. Well, damn- she felt a little lost, like she was a little child after all- but angrily, she shook that off. She was Erza Scarlet, and just being someplace new wasn't scary. Well, a little in a way, but damn well not in such a way that it was a real obstacle. Resolutely, she marched towards the building Shinpachi had pointed to.

Being resolute, it turned out, was easier said than done. Once she had marched into the building, she came into a hall of

some kind. The walls and floor were a practical kind of white and grey, and some official-looking people sat down at the far end by equally practical-looking desks. Well, what was she supposed to do now? Who should she talk to?

She looked around. She wasn't alone, at least- there were maybe a dozen people there, looking a bit lost and awkward, wearing no uniforms. Some wore rags, she noticed, like somebody had just cut three holes in a sack and used it as a tunic.

Others wore modest kimonos; two or three wore what looked like quality kimono, brightly colored. Hesitantly-but-also- resolutely, Erza walked forward, towards the group of what she assumed were fellow recruits. She wasn't quite sure what to say- best keep it simple. A "hello" might be good.

As if the universe was intent on solving this incredibly minor problem, one man turned to face her, a cocky grin- or at least, it looked like, what he really wanted a cocky grin to be- on his face. He was tall, broad of shoulder, blond, and wore an expensive-looking bright blue tunic, lined with gold.

"Well, hello there." He said. "Man, what a relief- this group is seriously lacking in cute girls."

Erza, not quite knowing what to say to that, just stared.

"My name is Shinyu Sensuke." He said, bowing. "Of the Shinyu house. My family didn't want me to enlist, but I'm a man of action- and you have to do your part for King and Afterlife, and all that."

"One has to wonder," came a dry-sounding voice from behind him, "if your pickup lines will ever work on any sane woman."

Erza looked, and behind Sensuke there was a man in a worn, dirty kimono that looked like it had once been grey, but with time had become some indescribable shade of brown. His face looked worn; he was not quite old but not quite young either, and his hair was a dull shade of black.

"Shut it, commoner." Sensuke murmured awkwardly.

"What is your name?" Erza said, turning to the black-haired person. He seemed a bit less… direct.

"Lupon Remon." He said sourly. ""Sixty-seventh district. Piss poor place- I guess I hit the jackpot, being recruited here." He said sourly, sounding nothing like he was in a jackpot-y kind of mood. "And you are?"

"Erza Scarlet." She said, nodding eagerly. "I only came here a month or so ago, and got recruited a couple of days ago."

"Erza…" Sensuke said. "That's a real sweet name."

"It is the name of a person much more fearsome than you." A third voice came. It was a woman- looking young enough, with chestnut brown hair, a couple of spectacles and a modest, white-ish kimono. "She is the one who beat a major class hollow to death, weeks after arriving here."

"How do you know?" Erza asked.

The woman shrugged. "I read the news." She extended a hand. "My name is Akane Marisa. Don't pay those two any mind- we're not all of us simple."

"I'm plenty simple myself." Erza said, shaking her hand. "But I don't hold being complex against anybody. Or being hit on, for that matter. Let's all get along, shall we?"

Sensuke grinned. "Does that mean I have a chance?"

Erza eyed him top to toe, then said a simple "No."

Marisa giggled at the disappointed look on Sensuke's face; even Lupon seemed less sour.

"So," Erza began, "what do we actually do now that we're all here?"

"We go over to those desks, get registered." Lupon said, pointing. "It's no rush, though- they call your name when it's your turn."

Sure enough; one by one, people were being called up, each person being processed and sent on their way. It took its time, but finally Erza's name got called. She walked up to the desk, where a balding clerk of a shinigami was taking notes.

After giving her name, and some personal information- height, weight, motivation, that sort of thing- she was given a set of student's robes in her size, a few books, and instructions on how to reach the dorms. Waving to her new acquaintances, Erza went on her way, and after some time- probably half an hour longer than necessary- she finally found what she hoped was her room, in a long winding and rather worn-looking corridor. Walking in, she found a room far better than she

expected- two quality futons, with covers that looked perfectly whole, and two pillows. A simple book case, and an equally simple but sturdy desk, presumably for studying. White, furnished walls. One window, overlooking what looked like a training ground. All in all, a place far more qualitative than her old home.

But far less warm, she thought.

Sighing, she put her new outfit down on one futon, and began undressing. Her old kimono wasn't bad, but the school uniform looked brand new, and well made- and if she was a student, she might as well look the part. Quickly, she slid out of her old, worn kimono. So, this was life now...

Her musings, which barely had had the time to take off, were interrupted as someone else walked into the room. Erza, realizing she was naked, spun around- damn it! She breathed a sigh of relief, though- the person in the doorway was the girl from before, Akane Marisa.

"Well, that's quite the sight." She said dryly.

"Um, uh, yeah." Erza said, quickly putting on her new uniform. It fit rather well, but was a little tight across the

chest- well, such was life. "Uh, sorry about..."

"No need to apologize." Marisa said, smiling slightly. "They usually put girls with girls and boys with boys, so you've nothing to worry about."

"...that's good, then."

"Shall we head down to the armory?" Marisa said, changing into her uniform as well.

"The armory?"

There was a satisfied look in Marisa's face. "We're meeting our instructor there, and... that's where we get our swords."

"Oh!" Erza said. Swords- now swords, she understood, and it had been too long since she held one. "Yes, let's go there now. Um... do you know the way?"

"I familiarized myself with the basics of this academy before coming here." Marisa replied. "Just follow me- we'll find our way there."

A little while later, the two of them stood before an ominous-looking metal door, along with quite a few other new students, all of them looking a mixture of lost and excited. The air was full of chatter, excitable talk between people young and old, embarking on a completely new adventure. Erza couldn't help but be caught up- this was pretty exciting.

Soon, though, the idle murmuring was interrupted, as there was a loud shout. Erza and the other recruits all looked towards the source of the noise, and saw a scarred, bald shinigami with a mean expression on his face, his arms crossed.

"Attention, greenhorns!" He bellowed, his voice deep and coarse. "And stand to attention when an officer is addressing you, damn it!"

There was a collective scuttle, as the group- consisting of around thirty or so people- tried a beginner's attempt at standing at attention. It looked kind of comical, but the man in charge didn't seem to be in a very comical mood.

"I am Isao Tendo." He said, slowly opening the metal door. "I am the armorer of this academy. All _zanpakutou_ are issued by me. If they are dented or harmed before you form a link with them, you come to me. Now, these are weapons- lethal weapons meant to kill. Under no circumstances are any of you allowed to draw them outside a training range. Drawing a blade unlawfully can get you expelled- these things are not a joke. They're dead serious." He took his own sword out, and held it up. "Look at this blade. Twenty-five inches long. Slightly curved, geared for stabbing motions rather than slicing motions. Sharp enough to cut a steel rod in half. And," he said, whipping the sword's blade out, letting it stop just an inch from the neck of a student. Said student let out a squeal, falling over with a terrified expression. "Just one false move and it could end your life- or somebody else's. You will each be given one of these magnificent blades that I have lovingly kept for years and years, and those who abuse its privileges will be unfit to call themselves shinigami. Is this understood?!"

As one, the class cried out, a "Yes, sir!", overall sounding pretty intimidated. Not Erza, though- she remembered these basic lessons of respecting a sword and what it represented; they'd been beaten into her a long time ago already.

"All right then." Tendo said, giving them all a vicious glare. "I'll call your names out, and you'll each be given a zanpakutou. After you each got one, a senior student will guide you to your introduction class. Keep quiet, and no funny business."

One by one, they got called up, one student after another receiving their zanpakutou. There were looks of excitement and happiness, people inspecting their new weapons- carefully, under the glare of the armorer. Finally, Erza got called up.

She walked up, taking the blade from the armorer. She opened the sheath slightly, getting a look on the blade's edge- and suddenly, there was a flood of images in her head. The great old guild house, her old friends standing outside it, the entire guild… she saw past battles, she saw a young man with a tattoo on his face, she saw demons and monsters, and she saw herself fighting them. And just like that, in an instant, it was gone, and she was back in the now, as if nothing had happened. She blinked.

"Get a move on, recruit." Tendo snarled. "Next!"

Obediently, Erza moved away. This sword… there was something else to it.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" It was Sensuke, clutching his blade like it were his newborn. "They say this thing becomes part of your soul… literally, even. It's so… different." There was a look of awe in his eyes, and his previous cockiness seemed gone.

"It's a good blade." Remon agreed, walking up from behind. "I have to admit, it feels good in my hands."

"I feels _right_." Erza said determinedly. "God, I missed swords…"

"Did you use to be a swordsperson, or something?" Marisa said, walking up with her sword's sheath already tied to her waist.

Erza nodded. "I did it for a living. Back when I was alive. Holding one makes me feel… I guess it's like if you lost an arm, and got it back again."

"You must be a natural, then." Sensuke said.

"All right, everyone!" Their conversation was interrupted, as another student had walked up to their entire group, and spoken loudly to get their attention. "Follow me- don't be late for introduction. Come on, hurry up!"

Following the others, the four of them were led into a hall, where an older man, wearing black robes, was waiting for them. When they all had gotten in, he spoke up.

"Recruits!" he said, crossing his arms, "You come here today to learn to serve the Gotei Thirteen to the best of your abilities. It is a dangerous path, allowed only to the strong. Know that just being here makes you part of an elite- so do not waste this gift. You will learn how to use a sword, how to connect with your zanpakutou, how to use all the other arts- hakuda, shunpo, and kido. You will become soldiers, ready to lay down your lives in service of the greatest cause there is." He looked over them grimly. "As harsh as this may sound, know that shinigami are the keepers of the balance between worlds. Without us, the souls would not flow, and imbalance would occur, and eventually the different realms would collapse. The stability of the worlds hinge upon our efforts, and to be part of this cause is to be a hero. Nothing must stop you from becoming the best, and claiming what is yours by right through humble servitude."

There was a quiet murmur through the ranks; a bit of hesitance, caution, among the new students.

"Now," the man continued, "I am headmaster Tetsuo Kaneda. You will address me as 'headmaster'. As students of this school, you will be expected to give your all- to study hard, work until you ache, and become the greatest you can be. There are strict rules here- a rulebook will be given to each of who break the rules will be punished, it is as simple as that. And know this- though you may have been given _zanpakutou_, do not expect that you may carry them freely. Nobody gets that privilege until they pass first year kendo. Until that time, that blade will be kept in your rooms. Understood?"

There was a collective "Yes, sir!", and the headmaster nodded.

"Good."

After adding a few more words about discipline, strictness, and general shinigami stuff, they were dismissed. The aforementioned rulebook was handed out, along with books, schedules, and suchlike studying material. It was a bit lighter on the bookish side than Erza had expected for an academy- then again, it was a military academy; likely it would be more practical than theoretical.

The rest of the day flowed smoothly. There were just a few introduction classes- mainly it was about how they would learn, the times they needed to keep, et cetera. Today, it seemed, was all about the recruits settling in- but hard work, all teachers assured them, would start tomorrow.

All in all, it wasn't so bad. It was still new, still a bit strange, but not really intimidating anymore. She was already making friends, and she was sure she'd be able to handle whatever came her way. She was actually looking forward to kendo

classes- swords, she knew. Deep in thought, she walked through the academy corridors, alongside Marisa. They were a little lost- just a little- but they were too caught up taking in the new sights to care.

They were quite distracted, indeed- as it showed, when Erza turned around a corner, accidentally running into somebody.

The person- man- stepped back a little, and Erza just about managed to keep her balance. She looked at him- black robes; probably a teacher.

"Sorry about that, sir." She said. "I was just uh, lost in thought. …sorry."

She hoped he wouldn't be too angry, mostly because she was afraid of what she'd do to an abusive teacher. Luckily, though, he seemed not to be the abrasive kind at all.

"Not at all." He said calmly. "We were all new once. Just be careful where you walk, all right?"

"Yes, sir." She looked closer at the man. He had brown hair, a pair of glasses, and was pretty handsome- not bad.

"My name is Aizen Sousuke." He said, bowing lightly. "I will be your kido teacher. I look forward to seeing you there."

"Yes!" She said bowing. She was a bit awkward, but luckily this teacher seemed not to be bothered by awkward.

"I think we best get going." Marisa said, pulling Erza along. "Good evening, sensei!"

"Good evening." Aizen-sensei said, smiling and waving.

Academy seemed to be, on the whole, kind of all right. So far.

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><p><strong>Oh yes, that's right. <span><em>AIZEN<em> is still a teacher in the academy. Since he said so during his brief confrontation with Soifon, I decided to make use of that bit of information. It will make things...Interesting to say the least.**

**Now, I know what some of you are thinking. "UGH, the academy, tell me when its all done and over with." Now, I understand why some of you think this way, but don't worry, we wont be staying here long. However, I DO recommend reading these chapters. I wouldn't be doing the academy if it didn't add something to the story.**

**As for the OC's? Don't worry, I have NO plans for them to be taking huge roles. Oh, they'll be making appearance's once or twice through out the story, but trust me when I say Erza and the BLEACH cast is my main focus.**

**Anyways, to anyone who has read this, thanks again. Please feel free to leave a Review however. I want to know what people think of this story. Feedback of ANY kind (Positive or negative) is welcome and appreciated.**


	5. School days and a Mysterious Voice

****BLEACH is owned by Tite Kubo, Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. ****I own...Nothing. :(****

**Things got a bit crazy so I didn't get the chance to update as soon as I wanted to. My bad.**

**Once again, Thanks to GreatKingrat88 for writing this and thank YOU, dear reader for deciding to read this story. I greatly appreciate it.**

**Please review and leave comments on what you think so far. Reviews are HUGE motivators!**

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><p>The next day, early in the morning, after having had a quick shower, Erza and Marisa got into their robes, and headed down for breakfast. She'd been worried that she might not find her way, but everyone was up at the same time, heading the same direction- to a rather dull- looking dining hall, where a simple, healthy meal of rice was served to each student. Some, she noticed, wolfed it down- people she recognized as being from a poorer district. Erza ate quickly too, but moreso from an eagerness to see what came next. What would be next? Well, there was a schedule- handed out in twos to each room, one for every student. A quick look revealed a broad list of subjects: First introductory kendo, then an introduction to kido, then history, then literature- seemed even a martial school put emphasis on less hands-on subjects, and though Erza did not groan, she wasn't really fond of the prospect of going through dull ledgers either. And what else? Hand-to-hand combat, introductory flash step, strategy… it was a blur of subjects, most of them military-sounding- but not all.<p>

Gobbling down the last of her rice, Erza prepared herself mentally. She was not a stranger to hard work, or at least she thought so- checking her memories, fractured as they were, it seemed that yes, she was not adverse to it- but she was definitely looking forward to some subjects more than some others.

After breakfast, the entire group of first years- about a hundred people or less, she estimated- were divided into classes according to schedule. Erza noticed Marisa, Sensuke and Remon in her class, and hurried up to meet them. Remon was quiet, and Erza recognised the look of somebody who was not a morning person- but Sensuke smiled happily, with an expression that she was sure was at least half grounded in an appreciation for her bust- but no matter.

"Ready for your first class?" Marisa said with restrained excitement. "I have to admit I'm not much of a sword person- but I suppose I'll have to learn."

"I look forward to it." Erza said happily. "When do we start?"

"In five minutes." Sensuke said. "So I think we better hurry. Um, does anybody know the way?"

"I do." Marisa said smugly. "Right this way."

Soon, having walked hastily through a number of school corridors- Erza wanted to stop, take it all in, but there was no time, and she supposed she had years to do that anyhow- the four of them, along with another sixteen or so students found themselves standing in a big, spacy classroom, where mats were stacked against its walls, nearly covering them. Up front stood stands and stands of wooden swords; it gave every impression of a place for training. Erza smiled to herself. Good.

"What're you so cheerful about?" Remon murmured grumpily. "Does the idea of violence get you that happy, eh?"

"You could say that." Erza said, her smile growing wider. It wasn't just the two of them- there was an unquiet murmur over all the class, students talking in hushed voices to each other, reassuring each other… it was an air off uncertainty and insecurity Erza hadn't felt before- so many people, so unsure what to make of what was to come next.

The murmur died down very suddenly though, and Erza looked to the front of the class- a man had come in, wearing a shinigami's uniform. Their teacher? She had a closer look-

"Good morning, class." He said curtly.

"Good morning, sensei!" The class said as one, Erza included. She knew that voice!

"I am Shimura Shinpachi, your kendo teacher." Their teacher said, and Erza felt glad. It was nice, having some point in this school life in this first, alien day of school that was not so strange. Listening intently, she watched as her teacher- Shinpachi- kept talking.

"I understand quite a few of you have experiences with violence. That perhaps, some of you may think of yourselves as less than strangers with a blade. I am here to tell you that any such thoughts are childish fantasies. Before a real sword, before a zanpakutou, you are all children- even those who might have used a sword before. Is there anyone who would disagree?"

Perhaps there were, but there is a natural order of things that emerge in any place at all like a classroom, and that includes a tendency to not, for the life of you, talk back to a teacher, because that was just a recipe for making a fool out of yourself. The class was silent, and Shinpachi- Shimura-Sensei- looked satisfied.

"I thought so, yes. I imagine you're wondering when we start actually swinging swords around- but before we even get to the wooden ones, I have a question that needs answering. That question is: _why_ are you all children before a sword?"

No-one dared answer.

"Come on." Shinpachi said patiently. "Surely at least one of you can answer? I'd be very disappointed if I had to answer myself."

Hesitantly, Sensuke raised an arm. The bravado from before was still there, a slight self-assurance- but reduced and minimalized, so different from before.

"Yes, Mr. Shinyu?" Shinpachi said.

"Um," Sensuke said, trying to sound confident, "it's because we're all very… inexperienced?"

"Not good enough." Shinpachi said dismissively, and Sensuke sunk back. "Anyone else? Does anyone here know the point of a sword- not just that it's a long, sharp stabbing implement made of metal, but what _else_ it is?"

Erza raised her hand. Peers be damned, this was the one part she was supposed to be any good at.

"Miss Scarlet?"

"A sword…" She began, trying to find the right word. "A sword is a long stabbing implement like you said, sensei. But it's _because_ it's a stabbing implement that it means more."

"Oh?" Shinpachi said, with a slightly intrigued voice, which, in authority figures, Erza had come to recognize as a tone meaning 'you're on thin ice'.

"It means the potential for serious harm. With a sword, I could cut your arm off- or your head. And if I don't know how to use it, I might. If I don't respect the power a sword has, then I could end up hurting or even killing other people- or myself. It's not just about the sword- it's about the creed you have to follow if you're dedicated to using a sword- not just fling around a piece of metal… I think."

Shinpachi smiled. "You're a bit thick, miss Scarlet- but as far as answers go, it certainly trumps no answer at all."

Erza, feeling pleased, smiled. She knew what a sword meant, of course- probably better than most. Vocalizing it had been a bit of a challenge; it was so intuitive for those who knew it (she certainly hadn't learned a creed- her mentors at Fairy Tail, as far as she recalled with her still-fractured memory, had just taught her skill and safety), but she seemed to not have made a complete fool of herself. Feeling satisfied, she listened to Shimura-sensei giving a short speech on that exact topic, on how none of them deserved to use a blade until they learned to respect it. Then, he paired them all up, reading one name after another, finally ordering the mats placed at the wall to be placed at the floor. Finally, everyone was handed simple protective gear- pads for the chest and shoulders, and a simple helmet- and a bamboo practice sword, a _shinai_

"There will be plenty of time for you to learn the basics," Shimura-sensei explained, "but for now, I would have you show me the grasp each of you have. How you hold a sword- how many of you know how to fight, and with what kind of form. The rules are simple- each pair will mock fight for five minutes, and each hit will score a point. You may only use your swords, nothing else. After five minutes pass, I will change your pairs around, and repeat. While you fight, I will observe who knows what."

It was simple enough. Erza took her place on a mat, having been matched up with some tall, lanky, awkward-looking young man. He gave her a clumsy bow, which Erza reciprocated, before immediately swinging his blade down like a club. Erza, though knowing how well she could handle a blade, hasn't wanted to be arrogant, to assume she would naturally win over anyone in the class- but deflecting the blow by redirecting its momentum, then counterattacking for a quick point, that was painfully easy. For five minutes they sparred, over and over, one quick point after another- and when the five minutes were over, the score was thirty-five to three. Looking demoralised, the young man seemed relieved when the pairs were rotated.

The next sparring partner was much the same story- inexperienced, Erza's form and balance was too much. Twenty minutes later, Erza had bitten through five partners, each time with similar results- if she'd kept score, it would probably have been several hundred points won to a few dozen lost.

Finally, Shimura-sensei called for them to stop, and there was a collection of groans, sighs, and huffs, as a whole class of sweaty, bruised students took their helmets off. It was rigorous work, swinging a sword around- even if it was fake.

Shimura-sensei nodded. "I think I've got a good enough idea of where you are. Almost all of you _are_ clueless- but we'll see about changing that. From here on out, none of you will spar each other until you know basic form- how to hold a sword right, how to take a stance, how to use the right conduct… there's a lot of knowledge to hammer in, and hammer it I will."

He looked around the classroom. "Of course, I said _almost_ everyone. Miss Scarlet, you've made a mess of everyone you fought."

Erza laughed nervously. "I just did my best, sensei…"

There was a bit of a murmur through the class, and Erza thought she heard some words- about her, about the rumours of hollow-slaying and warlord-beating and how it had to be all hot air and exaggeration but maybe not…

"Show me what you're capable of." Shimura-sensei ordered.

"Sir?"

"Take that shinai, and come at me. Standard rules, best of five."

"You want me to… fight you, sensei?"

"Did I stutter?"

"…all right." She murmured. She wasn't so sure about this- win or lose wasn't the issue, but everyone was looking at her. She did want to fit in, and this wouldn't be a great way of doing so. Still, she couldn't very well say no to her teacher either. Slowly, she walked up to a mat, taking a stance. Shimura-sensei stood opposed to her. They both gave each other a quick bow. Then, Erza leapt forward, striking quickly. She had no idea how strong or how skilled he was; there was no reason not to go all out. One, two, three, four- she hit, hard and fast. He countered each one- just barely, but he blocked her strikes. Still, on she pressed, unrelenting. She had to take care not to hit too hard- these bamboo swords might break.

She thrust forward with a stabbing motion, trying to hit- but then he made a small movement, redirecting the force of her blow to the side. Erza cursed inwardly; that was a sure sign he'd counterattack. Immediately, she pulled back, narrowly avoiding his thrust. Quickly, he lunged forward, swinging from the side. She brought her shinai up to counter- but it was a feint. Quickly, Shimura-sensei pulled his sword back and to the side, and thrust forward, striking her in the chest.

"That's one." He said. "Again."

Feeling somewhat annoyed, Erza took a stance again. He was pretty good- well controlled movements, practiced strikes…

Again, she took the lead, striking at him with a series of quick, strong blows. There were murmurs from the class, people looking impressed; all eyes were on her. Trying her damnedest to be faster, to outmaneuver her teacher, she struck again and again- stabbing, slashing, as viciously as a blunt, wooden blade would allow her.

He was fast, though, and seemingly prepared for her every move. She wasn't breaking through- his defense was solid. Had this been real life, with real swords, she'd have had room to be creative, to find new ways to cut, new angles- but this was a kendo classroom, with strict rules and limitations. Grunting with frustration, she thrust forward, hard- but Shimura-sensei side-stepped, let her shinai glide forward, guided by his own, and then took a step forward- right past her guard. Quickly, he raised his shinai and brought it down. Erza tried to move back, to avoid- but the shinai came down, hitting her collarbone.

"That is-"

"Two, I know." She shot back. "Again."

Shimura-sensei nodded, and the two took a stance, bowing to each other. This time, Erza opted not to be the aggressor- let's see what he could do. Prepared for his assault, she looked him in the eye.

Shimura-sensei, for his part, gave her a curious look. There was a slight pause, where neither moved- then he moved forward, striking quickly and with precision. Carefully, Erza parried each one, looking for an opening- counterattacks had been how he'd won the last two rounds. He thrust forward, then followed with two quick, hard strikes, then another thrust, all in the matter of three seconds- it was fast paced, and exhilarating in a way. Finally, she decided to try and make a move. Anticipating one of sensei's thrusts, she smacked it aside, quickly stabbing forward, shinai in both hands. Shimura-sensei moved, though- bending slightly backwards, moving to the side, just barely keeping his balance, and her strike missed. Quickly, she took a step back- and in just the right time; his counterattack was fast. Defending a series of sharp blows, she was hard pressed to keep up. Three, four, five, six strikes- finally, she hit back, intent on breaking this chain of attacker and defender.

And it might have gone well, hadn't she hit hard enough that her shinai broke under the stress her strike placed on it. It snapped clean in half, and Shimura-sensei stopped himself quickly.

"A pity. We'll get a new one."

"No." She shook her head. "I lost, anyway." She bowed, still holding her broken shinai. "I look forward to learning from you, sensei."

"Very well." He said. "You did decently for a beginner." There was a look in his eye, and she suspected the 'beginner' part wasn't quite honest.

"Thank you, sensei."

Turning and addressing the class, Shimura-sensei said,

"That will do for today. Tomorrow, you will practice form until you bleed- so be grateful there's no more for now, and prepare yourselves for some hard work. Dismissed!"

As Erza followed the rest of the class out, she was caught up by Sensuke and Marisa. The whole class was murmuring, talking loudly- and all eyes were still on her.

"That was amazing!" Marisa said cheerfully. "You actually kept up with sensei- and he's a seated officer!"

"I lost." Erza said dismissively.

"Of course you'd lose!" Sensuke exclaimed, sounding partly baffled and partly excited. "He's an officer- he's been out there, fought hollows, trained his form, learnt the name of his sword, the whole thing. You- you're a student, and you gave him that tough of a time. That's…" He trailed off, shaking his head as if in disbelief- a very cheery sort of disbelief.

"Umm…" Erza said, unsure of how to put it without sounding like a braggart. "I'm just good with swords. I used them all the time when I was alive."

"So…" Marisa said, looking curious, "are the rumors all true, then?"

"Depends on the rumors, I guess."

"They say you set fire to the bandit lord's castle, slain all his men and bathed in their blood, and after that you butchered a legion of hollows with your bare hands." Remon said sardonically, coming up from behind, and Erza wasn't sure whether he was joking or whether somebody just had a very vivid imagination.

"Well, I didn't do _that_." She said, shrugging awkwardly. "But I did beat a hollow to death once. I'm strong- maybe not the strongest, but I'm doing all right, I guess."

"You'll make officer in no time at this rate." Sensuke said, grinning. "We'll all be officers together, I'm sure of it- and you'll probably be our captain."

"I don't know about that…" She mumbled.

"Everyone was looking at you, though." Marisa said. "You looked really cool up there."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?" Remon cut in. "Before we talk about captainship and such, we actually have more to do than attend our first ever class. Right now, we need to be heading to-" he took a quick look at his schedule- "introductory kido. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?"

Kido, as it turned out, _wasn't_ very fun. Their lecturer, although not a very harsh man, had a way of boring her terribly, mainly because it was such a difficult subject to grasp- summoning energy from within? Using it as magic? You'd have thought magic would have come naturally to her, but this was… very different. It involved, apparently, manipulating your own reiatsu… and frankly, she felt clueless.

"Do you understand any of this?" She murmured to Marisa, while helplessly flipping the pages of her great big book on kido. What they had to do here and now was simple- just summon enough energy to make a small glimmer of light.

"Oh, sure I do." Marisa smiled. "Just… focus, and try to visualise this light you have to make. Then, you just force some of your energy into it, imagine it as a light- and there you go."

"I still don't get it." She groaned.

"It's not that hard." Sensuke said cheerily, a bright light shining from the tip of his finger. "It just takes a bit of subtlety- like this."

"Exactly." Marisa said, and from her palm a much brighter light flared. Sensuke looked a little dejected "It doesn't take a lot of energy- I had a look at the kido spells we're supposed to learn, and from what I can gather, step one- this one right here- is the most difficult. Once you get past that, it should be fine.

Erza focused, focused, closed here eyes and tried looking into herself and-

And suddenly, her sleeve was on fire. Frantically putting it out, slapping at it with her hand, Erza resisted the urge to swear.

"Well," Marisa said with a quiet sigh, "hopefully you'll be fine at some point in time."

The school day went past slowly, and the many new things were almost overwhelming at times. The last lesson before lunch was history, a subject Erza did not care for very much. Once they had sat down in the classroom, waiting only for the teacher to arrive, she sat wondering what the point was- would history make her better at swinging a sword? Casting a spell, or connecting with her sword? She hadn't had much schooling in life, as far as she could remember- Fairy Tail had had its instructors, but not much in the way of teaching non-practical subjects. They had been very… hands-on, so unlike this formal, almost sterile environment of learning.

Erza was snapped out of her daze by the arrival of their teacher- a short, old woman with white hair kept in a knot, standing at the teacher's podium. The class stood to attention, listening intently.

"Good day, students." She said, her aged voice ringing across the room surprisingly clearly.

"Good day, sensei!" They all shot back in chorus.

"Before we begin," she started, "I will tell you something you need to know as students. You may wonder what use this is? To sit here, listening to an old crone drone on about things past? When you could be swinging swords! But let me tell you, children, our past defines us. A sword-swinger without knowledge is but a brute, a machine for violence and nothing more. What separates a soldier from a thug is his knowledge and wit- and you cannot do without your history if you wish to become soldiers, because our past defines us. Without learning of the past, we can never learn from its examples, or from its mistakes. Understood?"

There was a chorus of 'yes' from her audience, and the old woman nodded, opening a book. "We'll start before the founding of this Gotei Thirteen…"

Erza, though still unimpressed with the subject, listened attentively- well, not inattentively at least. It was a fair point.

And finally, after a grueling hour of introduction, it was finally time to eat. Following the flow of students walking their merry way, first years as well as upperclassmen of various kinds, she came into a large dining hall, where food was being served. Settling for a simple dish of fish and rice, she took a seat next to her new friends, cheerfully digging in.

"Maaan…" Sensuke groaned. "I hate literature. Like, I seriously hate it with every fiber of my being."

"Don't be lazy, noble boy." Marisa shot back with a smirk. "We all have to pass it- and if it's too difficult, then that means you have to try harder."

"Books are a stupid invention anyhow." He grumbled. "It was probably invented by you nerds to keep normal people down."

"You are an oaf."

"And you are-"

Deciding to draw a line between playful banter and genuine insult, Erza said,

"That's enough, I think. I don't like it either, but it's part of the package. Besides, we've got Marisa to depend on, don't we?"

"Oh, thanks a lot." Marisa said sarcastically, but there was a smile on her face. "Why don't I just write all your assignments _for_ you?"

"That would be fantastic." Sensuke said snarkily, chewing down his rice. "I expect a five hundred word essay on the importance of the poet Sakabuta had on the era of rama-dama-ding-dong." He grinned.

"For the dream that was never made real, as a dream it was a beauty to have…" Remon mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Sakabuta." Remon said, shrugging. "You ought to try it some time. He was quite the wordsmith."

"Ugh." Sensuke said, making a mock expression of disgust. I am surrounded by nerds. Neeeeerrrddss."

"Me too?" Erza said, smiling.

"Oh, you're the worst of all." Sensuke said, nodding eagerly. "You're the sword nerd, whose encyclopedic knowledge of swords reaches epic proportions. Real shinigami don't need that!"

"Yes, I'm sure charging into battle without in-depth knowledge will work _quite_ well." Marisa said, half laughing.

"I'll have you know I'm a proud sword nerd, and I intend to be for as long as I live." Erza giggled, scarfing down the last of her rice.

Time really did fly, quite fast once she had got accustomed to school life. Her first day was over before long, consisting mostly of introductory courses, and the next two months went by in the blink of an eye. There was theory and practice, there was magic and swordplay, there was hand-to-hand combat and literature. In some places she did well- swords especially- and in some she did poorly, like kido and history… but luckily, she got by with a little help from her friends. And in turn, she helped them when she could- showed them a good move or two, how to hit at just the right time, how to intimidate and how you could solve conflicts with more than just violence. Although that last one, she had to admit, was not her field of expertise.

And before she knew it, two months had passed and she was still keeping afloat, still passing as a student. She continued to impress in Shimura-sensei's class, and she was dimly aware that people talked about her often. Maybe she was 'popular'; she didn't pay it any mind if she was. She had enough on her mind to be part of school drama. There were boys, of course- lots of them, all seemingly interested in her- or her looks, at least.

One event stood out among the others. Less than three months after she had first arrived, between struggle and excellence, between classes and filling her head with knowledge till she felt like it might burst, there was one night when something extraordinary happened. Erza had been laying in her bed, having taken an early night- done with her studies, she had only wanted a good night's sleep.

But for whatever reason, sleep had trouble coming. She lay in bed, twisting and turning, and no matter the position, no matter how hard she relaxed, she wouldn't quite fall asleep. It was a strange and frustrating affliction to deal with. She felt disturbed by the smallest things- by a ray of moonlight shining through the window, by the sound of somebody walking past in the corridor, by her covers feeling too warm... there was no end to it. And even so, _she felt tired_, but sleep wouldn't come.

Three hours later, Erza was wide awake. But, she slowly realized, this didn't feel very much like being awake. She tried moving her body- but her arms and legs wouldn't respond, and she felt confused- unable to even gather her thoughts. She was not asleep, she was sure- she could still dimly see the moonlit room, Marisa sleeping across on the other bed. But at the same time, this... state she was in was almost trance-like. She knew not for how long she lay there, or when it changed- but some time later, maybe a minute or an hour or several, she saw something like a vision. Through the plain, ordinary view of her dorm room, lit by the moon, she thought at the same time she saw something different. It was nothing but a blur at first, like gusts of wind moving dust about, but slowly it took the form of a wasteland- a dirty, arid landscape ravaged by dust storms and rocks, tumbling about in the air as if they were nothing but twigs and straw. And in this non-vision, in this non-landscape, so clearly visible yet at the same time so transparent to the vision of her room, she saw a road. No, road might be too generous of a word- a messy, worn-looking and downtrodden path, going up a hill.

And on this path she saw herself, wearing the same rags she'd had once she arrived in the soul society. And this Erza stood still, gazing out into this surreal non-landscape, ravaged by a silent, unending storm.

Well, standing still was no way to be. She willed herself to walk forward- could she? No, she could- this dream vision of herself obeyed her command, walking forward step by step, bending against the wind, and she could almost feel it; feel the merciless sand and dust whip her face as she moved. Yet at the same time, she was laying still in her bed.

Focusing on the non-world, she moved forward, looking upward. There seemed to be an end to that hill, and on its top were something else- a twisted, dry husk of a tree, defiantly standing tall in the face of the storm. And, she noticed, neither rock nor dust stirred around it; the air seemed completely still. It seemed like the right place to be. Struggling against the wind, vision-Erza walked up the hill, step by step. But no matter how long she tried, no matter how many steps she took, the hill seemed ever as distant, insurmountable, unattainable. Renewing her efforts, Erza forced herself to walk faster, moving onward- that hill would be respite from the storm, and though the pain from it did not feel quite real, it was pain nonetheless. But the hill refused to come any closer still, and Erza stumbled, sinking to one knee. Angrily, she cried,

"What is this? Where am I?! What do you want?"

If there even was a 'you' behind this, she didn't know- but it seemed there was, for the next moment the entire landscape shifted. The winds intensified, and the hill turned into a mountain- a huge, black mountain, with only the small, winding path leading to its top. Erza looked at it with surprise, anger- and resolve. She would climb that mountain if it damn well killed her! Getting up to her feet, she moved forward- but then the vision began to flicker, to fail.

"No!" She cried. "I'm not done!" She raised her fist to the heavens, as if to intimidate the world itself.

And then she heard it, resonating through her entire being.

**CLAIM ME.**

It was not a spoken word; she hadn't heard a sound. It was not a whisper or a shout, or a giant, booming voice from the sky. It took her a few seconds to even realize nothing had been heard but the howling wind- there had to be sound, right?

But there hadn't been. Just the realization that something, somewhere in here, had wanted her to come find it.

"Fine!" She shouted. "I will-"

And then she sat bolt upright in her bed, a film of sweat coating her body. It took her a few seconds to collect her mind- to see that she was back here, at school, and not in some barren wasteland. She touched her face, her hair, as if to reassure herself of its reality. What trickery was this? It had seemed real- very real, and unreal and surreal but somehow also _real_. It was nothing like a dream, not so hazy and unclear.

But then, like a dream, her vision began to slip from her memory, and she desperately tried to hang on to it, burning into her memory the image of the mountain and the tree- but so much slipped away from her, and there was nothing she could do. Letting out a subdued, frustrated cry, she slammed a fist into the wall.

She didn't get much sleep that night.

The next day, at lunch, she approached Marisa. It had been a strange experience, and she wasn't too willing to share it- it had felt oddly private, but at the same time she wanted to process it. Torn between ignorance and privacy, she finally said,

"Um... have you ever had any weird dreams?"

"I dreamed I was a ten foot tall man in a tutu, commanding the legions of hell against a crowd football players the other day." Marisa said bemusedly, lazily chewing on a piece of fish. "But maybe that wasn't what you were thinking of?"

"No." Erza said, shaking her head. And slowly, taking pauses to try and find the best words, she recounted last night's experience- the surreal non-dream, the non-landscape, the mountain...

"...and then I 'woke up'." Erza finished. "It was freaky as hell- do you have... any clue, or am I going mad?"

"Well, it does sound a tad insane." Marisa replied casually. "And a month back, I wouldn't have had much to say. But..."

"But..."

"I had something like that just two weeks back. I was by myself, at the bottom of an ocean, surrounded by stone pillars- and nothing made sense. I looked in the books, but didn't find anything. For a while, I thought I was getting schizophrenic. So I asked a teacher, and... he told me it's a sign of your sword trying to communicate with you. A first encounter."

"Really?" Erza said, nodding thoughtfully. She hadn't had any idea how that worked- it had started to worry her, even.

"Yes, really. I had that same dream two more times since- each time a little different. There's something in there, and I have to chase it... I think."

"Why didn't you say?"

She shrugged. "It felt... weird. And in some way, it was my... my something, you know? My own."

"I felt the same." Erza nodded. "For me, I think I have to climb that mountain... I just hope it won't mess with my sleep cycle."

"Well, don't worry- apparently, it takes a long time for things like those to really take root. You just have to work on it whenever it comes to you."

That same day, that very same lunch, Sensuke was sitting with Remon, and a group of his classmates. Though he wasn't quite the arrogant brat he'd been when he entered, arrogance coupled with youth makes for a special kind of pride that takes a long time to subside- if it ever does. Which was why Remon was listening disinterestedly, as Sensuke talked about their future- his own most of all. It didn't help, of course, that Sensuke had good grades overall.

"It's as I told you, man," Sensuke said, drinking some water, "once we get out of here and make officers, we'll be set for life."

"If we live that long."

"Sure we will." Sensuke said confidently. "You and I, pal, we'll go far- before you know it, we'll be captain and vice-captain. I'll be captain, obviously."

"I shudder at the thought." Remon said, his tone a tad acerbic. "The only way they'd let you that far would be if you somehow managed to- no, forget it. There's probably _nothing_ you could do."

"Pshaw!" Sensuke said playfully. "I'm talent, good looks, hard work- the whole package! How could they _not_ want us high up? Don't worry, pal- when I make captain, I won't forget you." He laughed heartily and loudly, and Remon, despite himself, chuckled along. Boisterous and cocky as he was, Sensuke had an air of charisma to him.

"Yup, before you know it we'll be riding a gravy train, as they say- the future's bright, man! You have to be optimistic if you ever want to get ahead in life, you know."

"Aye, get ahead…" Remon murmured. Then he noticed a figure behind Sensuke…

"I bet you the four of us will get top of the class- best there is." Sensuke continued enthusiastically.

"If that's the best the Gotei can produce, then I feel sorry for them." A cold, derisive voice came from behind. Sensuke turned around, seeing a fellow student- a short, young man with short black hair and a mean look on his face, lean and mean.

"Who're you again?" Sensuke said, only half paying attention.

"That's Rod Sentry from one of the other classes." Remon said. "Maybe you best keep quiet-"

"That's Rodrigo to you, Lupon." Rod said, once again fixing his gaze at Sensuke. "So, making captain, are we? Acing the class?"

"…I'm doing well so far, yes." Sensuke said, sounding a little deflated compared to before.

"Well, fine and _dandy_ then." Rod said sarcastically.

"What's your problem?" Sensuke shot back, standing from his seat.

"Problem is, I'm looking at a self-inflated bag of shite. Keep your mouth shut, rich boy- some of us actually work hard to be top of the class, and you're not one of them." He turned away.

It might have ended there, and no harm would have come to anybody. But Sensuke was prideful, young, and a little foolish, and in his head he saw no way to let that insult stand.

"Oh, that's rich!" He sneered. "That's rich, being scolded for having ego, and then you look down on me the same exact sentence. I don't know who you think you are, but you're a hypocrite with no manners!"

There was a glimmer in Rod's eye as he turned around to face him. "I just _love_ hopped up little nobs like you." He said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Never had to work a day in your life, barely out of your nurse's skirts, and you got the gall to act like you're actually worth a dime."

Sensuke balled his fists, and looked indecisive for a moment. "You little-"

"You don't have the balls." Rod said dismissively. "Sit back down and eat your lunch, nob."

Frustrated, angry, Sensuke stepped forward, fist raised. He moved to strike- and then, in a flash, he found himself thrown to the floor, his arm twisted behind his back, Rod sitting on top of him with a knee into his back.

"Top of the class in hand-to-hand, nob." Rod said calmly.

"Get off me!" Sensuke growled, squirming. There was a stir now- one by one, all students were turning to look at them. Remon took a step forward, ready to give a hand if things went too far.

"Maybe you better stop there, Sentry." He said cautiously.

"You want some too? Bloody try it, I dare you." Rod shot back.

"Knock it off!" Sensuke shot back, trying to free himself, but he was firmly stuck in Rod's hold.

"Where's that bravado from before, eh, _captain_?" Rod spat. "You're just like the rest of them- full of hot air, but if you so much as poke, you pop like soap bubbles."

"Then why don't you try and pop _me_?" Came a voice, authoritative and strong. Rod looked up- it was Erza Scarlet, standing over him.

"I know you." He said calmly. "The hot shot of class two. A real damn tiger with the sword, they say. The legendary slayer of a legion of bandits and a host of hollows."

Ignoring his mockery, Erza retorted,

"And you are a bully."

"Bully!" Rod sneered, letting go of Sensuke, and standing up. Sensuke grumbled, rubbing his arm as he stood up.

Rod was noticeably shorter than her- but there was an intensity to him that, to the objective eye, made them seem not so different.

"A bully! Let me tell you something about bullies- bullies are the nobs sitting on top of society, with all the money in the world and none of the ails of those what live in poverty, acting like they're better than you 'cos they were born with things we weren't. That's _his_ lot to a tee."

"I don't care." Erza said resolutely, crossing her arms. "You hate the rich? Cry me a river. I see one man pushing another man down, for no other reason than that he can. That's something bullies do- throw their weight around because they're strong."

"Rich." Rod said coldly. "'Specially considering the one what threw the first punch was him, not me."

Erza looked at Sensuke.

"All right, I did…" He groaned, still rubbing his wrist. "He was being a dick, though."

"Well, that doesn't matter." Erza said, turning her eyes back to Rod. "You didn't have to do that- but you did. I'll tell you this much- if you're going after my friends, you're going after me. I don't have a lot of clearly laid out principles, but that's one of them- bully my friends, and I'll come down on you like a ton of bricks."

"Intimidating." Rod said dryly. "Hell, I'm all for a bout here and now, if you really want to throw down."

"Maybe I do." Erza said, cracking a knuckle.

"Maybe either of you _don't_." Marisa said, stepping up. "Are you both mad? If a teacher sees you fight, then the both of you will be cleaning toilets for a month. Stop being childish- we've got classes to attend, anyhow."

"…fair point." Rod admitted, shrugging. "If you're up for it, I'm all for settling this later- away from prying eyes."

There was an excitable murmur from the crowd of students watching- Erza was strong, everybody knew it, and before now nobody in the student body had challenged her like this.

"Maybe." Erza said. "That all depends on you- if you're going to keep acting like this, then maybe we will."

"Whatever." Rod said, turning his back. "I've got kido to go to now- and I think you lot have some place to be as well, where you'll no doubt squander your talents. See ya." He gave a lazy, sarcastic wave, and walked out.

"Well, that could have gone better…" Remon murmured.

"Damn…" Sensuke murmured.

"Sensuke." Erza said. "You did throw the first punch?"

"Yes, but-"

"No buts- no fighting unless you have to. Period."

"…yes ma'am." Sensuke said, and she couldn't decide whether he sounded defeated or sarcastic.

"Let's go, people." Marisa urged. "He was right- there's actual studying to be done."

With that, the four of them- walked out, and slowly the crowd dissipated. It was agreed later that it had been quite a good show- but not quite so good as what would come in time.

And so, Erza's first months in academy passed. She did make friends, and though she struggled, she managed to, on the whole, not mess up completely. Unbeknownst to her, she wound up being what is known in the mysterious society known as student body as being "popular". Strong, decisive, and charismatic, Erza made for herself a space where she was looked up to by some, appreciated by many, and disapproved of by few. It was the Fairy Tail way, perhaps, or just her personality- but Erza began to like it there. Though danger lurked just around the corner in the form of hollows and soldiery, it seemed like it was an eternity away- and for the time being, she enjoyed life at the shinigami academy. It was simple, full of hard work, and that was no more or less than she needed to be content.

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><p><strong>Well, there you have it, chapter 5. I know this didn't seem like much happened, but I wanted to just give you an idea of what the academy is like for her. Don't worry, 2 more chapters and then we're going to have her officially join the gotie!<strong>

**Now, as for Shinpachi defeating Erza, I understand a lot of people will be upset about this. However, like it was established earlier, Erza lost a good portion of her memory. Because of this, her skill with the sword isn't what it used to be. If it WAS, she would have won no problem. But as of right now, she needs to get back to her old level of skill.**

**Kido was an area I don't think she would do well in, at least, not at first. Will she get better?...I'm not telling, you have to read more to find out!**

**And before you ask, yes, I DO know what we're going to make Erza's Shikai and Zanpakotu spirit like. By all means though speculate on what it might be.**

**Anyways, im glad you took your time to read this and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter.**

**Please leave a review though. Nothing Motivates a writer to do better and to write more than a review. We can only imporove this story if we're told what problems there are.**


	6. Tutoring and Graduation

**Written by Greatkingratt88. **

**Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. BLEACH is owned by Tite Kubo. Me? I own JACK SQUAT.**

**Oh god, I am SO sorry for the delay. College classes are a pain, and not to mention my old laptop charger broke on me but now im done with college, Im done till January 12th. Im going to take my time and ENJOY this break of freedom. I sure hope you all do too, you deserve it!**

**Thanks for taking your time to read this chapter, I hope you enjoy reading it.**

**Also, please feel free to leave a review. I would _REALLY appreciate it. Reviews are HUGE motivator's not just for me, but for my writer as well._**

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><p>"Step back! Everyone step back, ten yards at the least! The seventy-third bout between Scarlet and Sentry is about to begin! The combatants will face each other, await the signal, and then fight! Today's choice of weapons: bare fists and legs! No cheating- no low blows, no other weapons. Whoever steps outside the circle loses! Otherwise, the fight goes on until one participant can no longer stand- or we run out of time, and god help us, we don't want sensei chewing us out again!"<p>

Resolutely, Erza slammed her fist into her palm. It sounded so weirdly formal, for something that had been almost intimate at first- her and Rod, settling their differences with violence. Rod had had a bone to pick with her from day one, and likewise had she not tolerated his rough, domineering attitude. So they'd taken it outside- during weekends, or free time, they d taken to battling it out, man to- well, violent person to violent person. And naturally, news of it had spread like wildfire, because students are among the worst gossips in the known universe. And nothing attracts a crowd, it seemed, like a good old fashioned fight. Already at the second time they fought, there had been an audience- one that had only grown since. People were bustling about, quietly murmuring with the excitement that doing something that was against the rules did- because this _was_ against school regulation most decidedly, but Erza suspected the teachers knew already- with the gleeful anticipation of spectators knowing they were about to witness something that was dangerous, but not for they themselves.

The chatter, though, was as naught for Erza, as she faced Rod Sentry with a grin. He himself stared back at her, his eyes looking as deceivingly tired as ever.

"Is it seventy-three already?" He drawled, balling his fists and stretching his fingers out again, preparing for the fight to come. "Sod me, don't time pass fast? What s the score now?"

"Thirty-one wins for me, thirty for you- and twelve draws." She balled her fists, taking a stance, and the crowd cheered as loudly as it dared without possibly alerting a teachers.

"Then let's even the score out, why don't we?" Rod said, his voice low. He raised his fists, legs spread wide and arms raised high. Quickly he lunged forward, striking rapidly, jabbing, feinting. By now, it was a dance Erza was well accustomed to- she knew his style, and he knew hers. He had been a good training partner, in a sense- where Erza was tall and statuesque, with a full form and strong muscles, Rod was short and wiry, and fast. Fighting somebody smaller was quite challenging- you'd think the bigger reach would have been an advantage, but as he had once explained, a short fighter has nothing but experience in fighting people bigger than themselves.  
>He pushed her back, slamming a roundhouse on her that she just barely blocked with an arm- and quickly, she threw his leg off, counterattacking, jabbing him in the face-<br>And of course, he dodged, somersaulting backwards, landing on his feet easily. It was always like this- neither quite able to really hurt the other hand to hand. Erza had an edge with a sword, he had one in shunpo, and in hand to hand they were evenly matched.

Rod spat, and gave her a condescending glare, gesturing for her to come at him. A provocative gesture, of course- not something she d be goaded by. But charge she did, striking rapidly- Rod, of course, countering flawlessly, patiently waiting for an opening. And finally, through her barrage of blows, he found a way past her guard, slamming a fist into her gut. She recovered quickly, before it could become a sequence, and stepped back. And once again, Erza found herself smiling.

It had long since stopped being about teaching a bully a lesson, really. Rivalry was the official reason for this, but somehow Erza just found this fun. So far, Rod was the only one in her year who was anything like a match for her, and training with him was stimulating. And something about the bruises she got, despite the ache that came with them, felt satisfying.  
>And Rod had turned out not to be such a bully after all. He d been rough and blunt, but it had seemed his problem was that he just didn t like rich people very much- coming from a poor district, that was understandable enough. And somehow, after over seventy fights, she almost thought of him as a friend. She doubted he knew that, but it was still true.<p>

Erza was snapped out of her reveries by a fist connecting with her face, followed up by two hard jabs into her ribs. She collapsed onto one knee, and only barely caught an axe kick coming down. Roaring back at Rod, she pushed back, overbalancing him. Quickly getting up on her feet, she bull-rushed him, keeping him off balance. Rod went into a roll, getting up on his feet- but Erza was there, head-butting him. He staggered back, but quickly came back with an uppercut- and Erza went reeling back. And now the two of them were again battered, bruised, and equally as stubbornly set on continuing until neither could move.

Or when the bell rang and recess was over.

And, as it happened, that exact thing happened, the bell sounding resolutely. Erza was almost ready to keep going anyway, but Marisa- who kept saying this was barbaric, yet seemed to be there every time- and Sensuke each put a hand on her shoulder.

"C'mon." Remon said, still standing at the sidelines. "I know you got yer blood fired up- but it ll ignite and burn if we re late for Shimura-sensei's class."

Huffing, recovering herself a bit, Erza stopped moving.

"Damn." She said, resting her hands on her knees. "Was it twenty minutes already?"

"Twenty-five." Marisa said, sighing. "Which means we _really_ have to hurry, or you ll spend five hours in detention."

That thought did not appeal to Erza very much, and she stood upright. Still, time issues aside, she took a look at Rod.

"Another bloody draw, huh?" He grumbled. "You're damn persistent, you redheaded little shit."

Erza grinned. Once she might have seen that talk as insult, but by now it was just jargon- rough talk without much meaning. "Who're you calling little, midget?" She shot back, holding back a giggle. "I'll take you on any time, you know that. You'll get your chance to break even."

Rod nodded, and there was the smallest hint of a smile on his face, the corners of his mouth just barely up-turned. "We're on for this weekend, then?"

"Wouldn't miss it. Same place?"

"Same place, same people- an of course, this is the time where you bite the dust once and for all."

Erza laughed. "I heard that one before- but well, I have to go. Later."

Hurrying off, Erza followed Marisa and Sensuke, rushing off to class. She only barely made it, and got a strict look from Shimura-sensei, but it was worth it.

After a demanding kendo class, with Shinpachi- Shimura-sensei- shouting orders to everyone and everything, it was time for kido. And while the lack of a drill sergeant-esque teacher was welcome enough, everything else about the subject was still alien to her. After over six months, she could still only just barely form a basic kido- and the higher level incantations were murder. It was like trying to do quantum mathematics while juggling porcelain plates, which made it all the more irritating to see Marisa and Sensuke both handle it so easily. She was not of a jealous kind, of course, but she hated the feeling of helplessness before the subject, of feeling like she couldn't actually do something. That had been the harshest thing- she had always had confidence, confidence in herself that she could do whatever she wanted to. The logical part of her brain knew, of course, that this was not _literally_ true- but still, she'd come here with the notion that she could really do this, really come through.

And kido was grinding that confidence to paste. It was so _subtle_- it required you to master reiatsu control, and warp that into another kind of energy entirely, and then re-structure it into a large, complex spell. Her teacher, Aizen-sensei, kept telling her she was flooding too much energy into every spell- that she had what it took, that it was her basic control that was the problem. Which wasn t really reassuring. She was good at using a sword- sometimes she wished that s all she d ever have to do

"Scarlet." The calm, gentle voice of Aizen-sensei snapped her out of her self-pitying daydreaming. "Please demonstrate hadou number four." There was a range, set up in the classroom, for the occasion of target practice, though most of their current tutelage was focused on the basics of controlling kido. They had only just hit the actual spells themselves. Number four was _byakurai_, a simple lightning spell. Simple, of course, being a relative term

"Yes, sir." She said, standing up. Immediately, the people close to her moved away- her inability to control kido had become known by now, and a hadou could be quite volatile. Irritated, she pointed her fingers at one of the targets, and summoned the energy. Carefully, she visualized the magic she had to control, building the spell up

"Hadou number four: Byakurai!" She said boldly, and for a second she felt the energy flow out from her center, into her arm and out through her finger and for an instance it just seemed to_ work_-  
>And then, of course, it went badly. The lightning discharged, around her finger and back into her body. She cried out with pain, held back a swear, and instinctively tried to force the energy away. In an instant, it again focused in her finger-<br>And then it exploded.

It wasn't the most dramatic of explosions, just a small puff and a bit of smoke, leaving her with singed eyebrows, but it was enough to knock her off her feet and back into her chair. God damn it!

"That will do, Scarlet." Aizen-sensei said, and she could hear a few sniggers. Everybody liked to see others fail, it seemed, especially if it was somebody who was already doing well. "Next: Akajima-kun." Her teacher called out a new name, and she watched with frustration as the student fired off a rocky, but functional, byakurai spell. She clenched her fist.

Class eventually passed, at an agonizingly slow pace- in the typical irony of time spent doing things you hate always passing slower than time spent doing what you love. But eventually, class was dismissed, and the students walked out in as orderly a fashion as orderly could be without being a rushed mess of people eager to be elsewhere. Waiting for most of them to walk away, Erza finally stood up, frowning. Kido was a disaster- and after this, there was history, literature school life was hard. Annoyingly hard.

"Miss Scarlet?"

Erza blinked, and turned around. It was Aizen-sensei.

"Yes, sensei?" Great- now she was going to be chewed out, too.

"I noticed you re not doing well, well."

Yes, definitely a lecture. _Great._

"Yeah." She grumbled. Might as well get it over with.

"How long is it till your next class?"

She blinked. "Half an hour, sensei."

Aizen-sensei smiled. "Well, if you don't object, I think I could use some of that time getting you up to speed. How about it?"

"You mean, uh"

"It's up to you. But I am confident that one on one, I could help you work out whatever kinks there are."

Well, it didn t seem like a lecture, at least; that was always a plus.

"Sure. I mean, yes, sensei."

"Come with me." He said, walking back to his podium. He took a seat beside it, pulling out a chair. He gestured for Erza to sit down. Uncertain, she sat down at the front row, not sure what to expect.

"I know you're strong." He said. "You are a very capable person, Miss Scarlet- as I am sure you must think too."

"I don't"- She said, lamely trying to protest he teacher's praise."

"There's no shame in admitting to talent." He said dismissively. "But likewise, there's no shame in admitting to your weaknesses, to recognizing your limitations- and asking for help in overcoming them. Does that make sense to you?"

"S-sure." She mumbled. "Yeah, sure, I agree. That makes sense."

He nodded. "I think it does. So, what do you think your problem is?"

"Well, uh" She hesitated, thinking a bit. "It's when I try to form my magic-"

"No, not that." He shook his head. "It runs a little deeper than that. The question is, _what is your problem_, student?"

Erza frowned. Was this going to be a lecture after all? "I don't understand-"

"When you study. What is it that stops you? I had a look at your other subjects- you excel in hand-to-hand and kendo, and you score passable grades in literature and history. I don t believe you are a simpleton with an aptitude only for violence. Which, by deduction, means that something else is holding you back. In my experience as a teacher, it s often in your head. Now tell me, am I wrong or am I right?"

Erza sighed. "It's hard. And I m not used to this kind of hard. I mean, it s _really, really hard_. And when I try and fail, over and over, it feels like I can't do it." She trailed off.

"And then you have a vicious circle, where you keep failing because you lost the motivation to try." Aizen-sensei nodded. "I've seen this before, believe me. And some students are just that- failures. Roughly four percent cannot graduate. And Kido is one of the major subjects a student _must_ pass- and to be honest, in the state you are now, you will not pass."

Erza took in a sharp breath, for a moment feeling that sensation of a stone dropping inside her chest, of defeat-

"But I don't believe that is you." Aizen-sensei said gently. "I believe you have everything it takes. You just need a little shove."

"A shove, sensei?"

He nodded. "This is a fine school, but it misses some of the finer points of teaching. Like how each student has their own learning curve- yours is slower in this subject, and the course moved a little too fast. What I think you need is as much time as it takes, just mastering the basics- manipulating the flow of your reiatsu, controlling your power output. That is what you have to master first."

"Yes, sensei." She nodded. "That would be very nice."

"I will give you a simple exercise." He said, and reached into his pocket, retrieving a small ball of some kind. "This thing absorbs spiritual energy. I want you to practice with it."

"Um, how?"

"It is simple. Here, take it." He put it in Erza s hand; it felt cool to the touch. As soon as it came in contact with her skin, it started to glow a pale blue. "It takes on different colours depending on the amount of energy it takes in." He explained. "Right now it s blue, meaning you're giving it a lot of energy- you re leaking reiatsu all over the place. Concentrate, and stop all excess flow."

Firmly closing her fingers around the ball, Erza focused, forcing her reiatsu to stop- like turning a valve, slowing the flow of water. It was hard- like holding your breath while jogging. Still, she forced herself into control, and the ball changed colour, glowing with a dull white.

"That's good." Aizen-sensei said, nodding approvingly. "When you can get it to glow with a faint white, it means it's getting a minimum- no more than you need to expel to keep breathing, for your heart to pump blood through your veins, for your organs to work. That is what all officers do, to conserve energy."

"It's- it's-" Erza grumbled, her control slipping, reiatsu once again pouring out, colouring the ball an angry red. "Its bloody hard!"

"That colour means you re giving it as much as it can handle. Be careful not to break it- it can only absorb so much." Slowly, the burst faded, and the blue colour returned. "Once you ve learned to keep it at a white for five minutes straight, let me know?"

"Five minutes." she groaned. "Holding it for just a few seconds was like having the wind knocked out of your lungs! Sensei."

"We all started with just a few seconds." Azien-sensei said, smiling enigmatically. "And we all- well, everyone who matters- can do it at will, all the time. It may seem impossible to you now, but with a few years of practice it becomes second nature."

Erza gave him a skeptical look.

"You'd be surprised how many people have given me that look." He said calmly. "And you'd be surprised how easy it comes with practice."

"Yes, sensei. Thank you." She mumbled.

"It is my responsibility as a teacher to look after the needs of all my students. If a student fails, and I haven t done all I can, then I am to blame as much as the student. And that I couldn't stomach, Scarlet. "He looked at the clock. "But I think you've friends waiting, a lesson to go to- and undoubtedly short people to pummel."  
>He smiled again. Apparently, her run-ins with Rod weren't that secret.<p>

School life went on, as it had for the last few months. She continued to be at the top of her class in kendo, and though Shimura-sensei was harsh, her skill there seemed undeniable. She was naturally strong, too- nobody in her class seemed to have energy like she did. She didn't feel like she learned much of anything new, though- more like re-learning and rediscovering things she already know from when she was alive. Likewise, she did well in hakuda- she was fast, could hit hard, and move with agility, and though she wasn t number one in her class, she did well enough to have cause to feel some small measure of pride. Her more scholarly subjects were passable, in no small part thanks to Marisa, Sensuke and Remon- the latter of which had a surprising aptitude for literature, something which had saved her more than once. In between studies, friends and fighting, time was flying away- and before she knew it, almost a year had passed. And, despite often feeling like she had no idea what she was doing, she was slightly wiser and slightly more experienced.

"So I gotta ask," Sensuke said, snapping Erza out of her reflective daze, "how s kido working out?"

The four of them were sitting around lazily in the school garden- and a bit of good lazing was welcome in the hectic life in school, with so little time for anything but studies.

"Mmm?" She said, shaking her head. "Kido is still rather difficult- it s hard. But with Aizen-sensei's help, I get by. Sort of. I'lll maybe possibly eventually somehow get a passing grade. I think."

Marisa smiled brightly. "Of course you will. We all have subjects we re bad at-"

"Speak for yourself." Sensuke said, and though his cockiness was mostly jest, part of it wasn't.

"Yours would be modesty and humility." Marisa said acerbically. "Anyway, disregarding the pompous fool-"

"Hey!"

"You have to admit, she isn't wrong." Remon said sardonically.

"Yeah, but still." Sensuke said, looking sour- but he wasn't fooling anyone. Self-deprecation was a comedic staple for him.

_"Anyway_, we'll all make it. We've all got decent grades- a smirk passed Marisa s lips; her grades were far above decent - and we're doing well. We've come a long way since we first got here."

"We've" still got years left. Erza said contemplatively.

"Yes." Marisa nodded. "But we have to be confident. We have to believe we can do it, you know?"

Sensuke opened his mouth, and Marisa said,

"Except you. Be less confident and stop believing in yourself."

"I would if it were possible, but sadly I just ooze competence and self-confidence."

"And delusions of grandeur." Remon cut in.

"A bit of delusion never hurt anybody!" Sensuke exclaimed, chuckling.

"Say" Erza muttered. "Say, did anyone of you hear your sword talk yet? I mean properly- not just visions and weird echoing voices."

"It would be strange if we did." Sensuke said. "I mean, we're first years. Building a connection takes years. Well, so sensei says at least." He shrugged. "I know a little about this, since noble my dad has one, and it took him two years to learn its name, and that was considered fast. Very few people can sync with their weapon really quickly- only a few geniuses here and there."

Erza sighed. "I guess I'm just impatient. It s like I want it all and I want it now- I want to be strong, you know?"

Marisa nodded. "I know. We all want more but there s no shortcuts. As far as I know, at least."

"I'd take one if I could." Erza grumbled. "I swear, I never had to worry about this when I was alive."

Literally speaking, of course, it was true- but her memory was coming back more and more, and she remembered glorious fights as well as more tedious chores, so she hadn't much reason to complain. Then again, complaining was such a good way to vent.

"It'll come." Remon said curtly. "Little by little- like that ball you keep fiddling with."

"Yeah," Sensuke said excitedly, "is that thing working out at all?"

"I'd probably be out of kido if it weren't." Erza said plainly. "Aizen-sensei, he's pretty nice."

"And handsome." Marisa added, smirking. Sensuke shot her a look. "What? It's the glasses. Glasses are cool."

"Eeww, gross." Sensuke said, laughing. "But yeah, I guess it s true. Most teachers here are more like Shimura-sensei- and he's one of the nice ones."

"If you call nice making people do forty pushups if you miss one sword stroke." Marisa said.

"Don't be sour because swords aren t your strongest suit." Sensuke said cheerfully.

"Whatever." She grumbled. "I still think those pushups should be considered a crime against students everywhere."

Erza laughed. This- just this, sitting around with people she could call friends, people she had gotten to know, it was what she had missed the most. She still remembered in her mind the comrades she had used to live with- some, albeit, more clearly than others- but she had moved on and found friends. And as irksome as school could be, this life was becoming worthwhile.

Another place, another time. Elsewhere, in the dreamscape, Erza stood once more before the mountain. She had come here many times since last- not enough to count it in dozens, but enough to make her familiar with the place. No longer did she stay half-awake, seeing the landscape at the same time as the room she slept in. No longer did it come only when she was asleep- by now, she could sit down, close her eyes, concentrate and enter. She was careful not to do it when she was short of time, though- these reveries could last for ten minutes, half an hour, or four hours, and there was no telling when she would wake up. Sometimes she wondered if she d ever be trapped in there for good, drawn into this ethereal, surreal world forever. But even so, she didn t hesitate. She had a mountain to climb.

It had begun to be almost a ritual. She would climb, begin to climb that rocky, remote path, riddled with rocks and roots, steep and sharp and strange. She would climb- grab a rock, propel herself forward, walk in defiance of the howling wind and climb upwards. She'd look at the tree, and though it seemed she wasn t getting that much closer, she'd see the path behind her and realize she was almost a hundred feet up.  
>And then she'd fall off the mountainside, an unexpected gust of wind knocking her down, or a loose rock, or treacherous ground giving in under her feet, or a root tripping her. And she'd fall, hit the ground, feel the pain of her bones breaking for just a second before waking up again.<p>

And each time, she could see the footprints she had left there before, and each time she saw to it that she got one step further, just the one step, than she had before.

Today was no different. Resolutely moving forward, she walked the path, heaving herself forward. The path ended at a rock s face- no matter. Erza climbed the rock, struggled against its almost flat surface and the howling wind, got up, and saw that the path was still before her. Walking further, she trod carefully over a few roots. Seeing loose, gravelly ground, she spurted forward, jumping at the last second as the ground gave out under her. And just barely, she grabbed hold of the Cliffside, slowly hauling herself up. She moved forward, quick as she could, avoiding one obstacle after another. Then, as she set her foot forward in new territory, she slipped, sliding to the side of the path, just barely hanging on. She felt herself sliding, the skin of her hands scraping against the rough ground.

"God damn you!" She shouted angrily. "I'm not giving up here, you hear? You'll tell me who you are- if I have to tear down this whole mountain for it!"

_"You're so brash."_

It was a voice this time, an actual voice- gentle and soft, like a woman's. The shock of hearing it made her slip, and quickly she lost her grip.

"No no no!" She shouted. "Shit!"

And then she lost her grip.

And then she fell.

And then she hit the ground, blood oozing from her body as it cracked against the ground.

And then she sat bolt upright in her room. Damn. She was getting closer- so much closer than ever before. But these trials they were a hell of a pest, they really were.

But she had heard a voice. Not a disembodied thought, a command right into her very mind, but an actual voice spoken right next to her. She made a fist, clenching her hand hard, feeling her nails dig into her palm. That mountain- she would find her way to the top, one way or another. She d find that dead tree, find the name of her blade. It wasn t just necessary, it was essential- and doable. The mountain, though difficult, was not an insurmountable obstacle. It was a stepping stone- to harmony, strength and power.

And some day, she'd get there.

And in what felt like the blink of an eye, nearly five years had passed. Days came and went, meals were had, classes were taken, much, much reading was had, and more than a few bruises exchanged with Rod- but somehow, in what felt like no time at all when she looked back at the time spent, here she was, five years older, sitting again in Aizen-sensei s classroom just after class. They had move on to real spells, learning and executing higher level kido- and just barely, Erza got by. Thoughtfully, she twirled the ball she had received years earlier, now glowing an even, faint white. What had felt like holding your breath at first was now just a minor nuisance- controlling her reiatsu output took effort, but nowhere nearly what it used to.

"You've come a long way, Miss Scarlet." Aizen-sensei said, smiling lightly. "Didn't I tell you you would make it?"

"Because of your help, sensei." Erza said, tossing him the ball. He caught it, looking mildly surprised.

"I just gave you a shove." He said dismissively. "A small push in the right direction."

"Aye, once a week, most weeks, for several years. Now that's what I call a small push , sensei." She grinned.

"Are you being cheeky, Scarlet?"

"Wouldn't dream of it, sensei." She said, unashamedly pretending that cheek and her were as removed as the sky and the earth. "But I really have come a long way, haven't I ?"

"I remember a ruffian who came here, with not a care in the world for history or literature, years ago."

"And I'm still a ruffian by any standard, but I passed those subjects." She said proudly. "Seventy percent on history, would you believe that?"

"You can go far when you put your mind to it. It's just that your mind is usually put elsewhere."

"Isn't that the truth but at least I m still top at the class in kendo and hakuda." She stood up, stretching. "Anyway, what will I be learning today, sensei?"

"Well, I don t think I can teach you more. You pushed yourself- you learned how to form kido, how to control your spiritual energy and make it into magic, even how to perform the more complicated spells-"

"Barely."

"-yes, but still. You ve done it, and I don't think there is much more I can teach you. You re not a kido type to begin with- you'll carve your path with the sword, more likely, and you can come far enough with that."

"Yeah, I guess that's my way." She shrugged. "So I guess I'll just say, thank you , sensei. I wouldn't have passed without you."

"Don't mention it. He said, smiling lightly. But you better prepare- the graduation ceremony will come soon."

"I have time."

He shook his head. "You're young- you should spend your time with your friends. All this pesky, dusty teaching is over and done with- you should celebrate, not waste more time with your teacher."

"I wouldn't call it wasted." Erza said seriously. "It was hard, but I guess I'll miss it, a bit. You've been a good teacher, and now I won t see you anymore."

There was a look on his face, odd and with slight amusement, and he said,  
>"Somehow, I am confident we ll see each other again. Run along now- I too have preparations to make."<p>

Not being one to not take a hint, Erza began walking out. "Bye, Aizen-sensei."

"Farewell, Scarlet. Until we meet again."

"Until then!"

And with that, Erza walked out. What a strange five years it had been since she came here- she had been ripped from all her friends, everything that mattered to her; she had been alone and she had kept going. She wasn t one to toot her own horn- but in the privacy of her own mind, she felt proud of herself. She had a goal, she was moving forward, getting stronger; she had made new friends. And maybe, given what she knew about shinigami duties, she could one day find her old friends again.

A thought occurred to her, as she walked slowly through the school corridors. Could she possibly come back, one day, go back to her old life and stay there? She knew the Gotei wasn t exactly approving of what would effectively be treason but it might be worth it. Maybe.  
>Or maybe not. She shook her head; no point in getting ahead of herself. And for once, her thoughts weren t interrupted- this time she saw her friends coming, all in high spirits. Remon, for once not looking sour, just smiling slightly. Marisa, looking happy in an unrestrained sort of way, and so was Sensuke. Joining them, she walked towards the hall where the graduation ceremony was going to be held.<p>

"Time really flies, doesn't it ?" She mumbled.

"Speak for yourself." Sensuke said cheerily. "These were the slowest five years ever but they do feel shorter than you'd think, don t they?"

"Well, who cares?" Marisa said. "Soon, we'll be out there- once we ve applied for a division, we ll get to be real soldiers, finally carry that sword."

"You like it more than you thought, no?" Remon chimed in.

"Maybe." Marisa said cheekily. "Anyways, let's hurry- we ve got a ceremony to attend."

The hall was jam-packed when they got there, all students in their year standing in lines facing a podium, in the largest hall in the school. There was a preference for pomp and grandeur, Erza had noticed, especially in really official contexts. This, of course, was the most official context possible in this school, and more than a few teachers seemed pleased- very pleased. Up front they all stood, and among them she could see Shimura-sensei and Aizen-sensei. After taking their places, and waiting for ten-odd minutes, listening to the murmurs going through the crowd, there was suddenly a rustling, and one teacher called for silence- very loudly, at that. All heads, one by one, turned towards the entrance of the room, and there were a few excited whispers before the crowd finally went silent. Erza looked to where the rest looked, and saw it- walking through the door was the unmistakable figure of Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryuusai, whose picture she had seen in books and portraits all over the school, the venerable founder of the Gotei and its commander in chief, the highest authority under the central Forty-Six. He carried a cane- a very large one, and wore a haori with the symbol for one on it. His head was bald, but his beard- which was enormous- compensated for that considerably. The entire crowd watched him in awe, as he walked up to the podium, flanked by two ranked officers. There was something about him- he had the face of a very old man, but nothing about his posture or aura showed anything like weakness. This was the commander-in-chief, the greatest of them all, about to speak to them. The students looked in fascination, and Erza couldn t help but feel impressed.

Yamamoto took his place at the podium, standing tall. He opened his mouth, and spoke with a voice that was gruff, strong, and very ancient.

"Students of this academy, I salute you." He cleared his throat a little. "You have no doubt been told much about glory, duty, honour, obedience and valour in your five years here. And make no mistake, you are about to become fully fledged soldiers of the Gotei Thirteen, where you will be expected to lay down your lives in service of order, balance and tradition at a moment s notice. This is no job for weaklings- it is a privileged position afforded to the strong men and women with the determination and strength to die for what is right, but much better live for it. Rest assured, your lives will not be thrown away by the dozen- but you must always be aware of the risk that comes with your positions, the price you pay for the privileges you receive. You are all special- the strongest, the brightest, the most skilled, selected for a duty no others can perform. Yet at the same time, each and every single one of you is nothing next to this eternal institution; every one of you little more than a straw in a field. You have power- so most of all, you must be humble. We live to serve- I have laid down all my life in servitude of this place, and so will you. Those of you who follow this are already heroic- and those who don t will be remembered as cowards and traitors. Walk forward through your new life, boldly and decisively, and do what you know is right, and good things shall come your way."

He looked around the room, scrutinizing the students. "Congratulations." He grumbled. "You are all shinigami now- soldiers of the afterlife and mediators between this world and that of the living. It is a charge that is sacrosanct- so do not fail it. Never fall short of doing your best!"

He slammed his cane in the floor, and as one the students cheered, shouting in approval. Erza joined in. It felt good. She was part of something bigger- for now, at least. These five years had moved her forward; all that dull kido hadn t been for nothing.

With that, Yamamoto stepped down from the podium, and began to walk out. The students kept cheering until well after he left, and all but complete chaos erupted for a few minutes. A good, cheerful kind of chaos, relief of worries pent up for years letting go, moving on.

That night they celebrated, like all of the students did. The four of them went out, and while Erza wasn t one for heavy drinking herself, she indulged in a few- just a few- drinks of sake. They sat, they danced, they talked and cheered and sang, and danced some more, forgetting everything else. Sure, there would be troubles ahead, there would be a long road full of struggle and strife and mundane-ness as well as horrors, but here and now they were just merry, in high spirits, forgetful of everything else. That was the way of things, Erza supposed- you just had to forget sometimes, just be happy to make life feel good.

After a few hours, Erza decided to take a break from the loud little bar they d been in. She needed fresh air, and just a little time by herself- to take it all in, being a shinigami, having come this far everything. She walked out, leaving the noise behind her. It was a comforting noise- one of happiness and joy, one that reminded her of home, but you could have too much of a good thing. She looked up at the sky, feeling the cool night breeze against her warm skin. It was a clear night, and the stars were shining down on her. Even here, the celestial bodies could be seen how much like life wasn't this afterlife, after all!

She turned her head and looked, and down the street she saw a familiar figure- it was Rod, sitting on a bench with an apathetic expression. Feeling curious, she walked up to him.

"Why're you sitting out here?" She asked. "Shouldn't you be in there, with the rest of us?"

"Can't be arsed." Rod mumbled.

"Sure you can." She said resolutely. "Come on- if there s any time you shouldn t be by yourself, it s now. Come on in, celebrate with your friends."

"What friends?" He grumbled. "I'm not" He gave her a strange, somewhat hostile look. "you."

"Well, that s a pretty non-specific insult." She said cheerfully.

"I mean all friendly. _Popular._ I'm alone, and well, could be worse."

Erza sighed. "It cant be helped, I guess." Quickly, she grabbed Rod by the wrist, and pulled him up, dragging him with her.

"Hey!" he protested. "God damn it, what do you think you're doing?"

"Taking you back in. If you ve got no friends- then you ll just have to celebrate with us. We're not bad people, even though we re popular ."

Rod broke free, jerking his hand away. "I don't want pity, Scarlet. Don't you-"

"That's good, because I m not giving you any." She said, cutting him off before he could continue. "I just don't think you should celebrate alone. Come in, have a drink- you don t have to talk, or laugh, or be cheery if you really don t want to. You can even keep that frown that makes people think you re an unrepentant thug. Or you could lighten up, and have a good time. The choice is yours. Either way, you re coming with me."

He blinked. "You're not letting go of this, huh?"

"Nope!" She said cheerfully. "So are you coming, or am I gonna have to beat you into the dirt first?"

"Fuck off." He mumbled. "Fine- but only for five minutes."

"Five minutes will be fine." She said, smiling brightly.

That night, they all drank and were merry- and at the end, one of the loudest singers were Rod himself. It was a good night.

In the following week or so, there was some down time- nothing but free time for a whole seven days, which was more than she d seen in a long time- five years, to be specific. The official purpose was choosing what division to apply for, and the administrative process took time- enough to leave them with more free time than they d known in a long while. Most took the time to relax, to sleep in and have fun, getting applications out of the way as quickly as possible. Erza was not quite so hasty- she had taken a look at the various divisions and specific duties they carried out. On the whole, most of them were pretty similar, although there were subtle differences in how each squad seemed to approach their duty. Second division, for example, had a frightening amount of talk about mortality rates and readiness to die for the cause; third division s papers seemed to emphasize humility nothing major, it seemed. She had been indecisive, going through all of these papers- there was a form to fill out for each division, information about the divisions, and all of it of course was written to sound more appealing than it probably was and nothing really caught her eye until she saw division eleven.

It was a simple description- fight, fight and fight. Make your way with the sword. Obey the captain, take flak from nobody, be strong. It was simple, but honest. She asked a few others about it, and had gotten some terrified responses- eleventh was known as a division of punks and hooligans, unrefined thugs who cared only for battle.  
>It reminded her a little of Natsu, and Fairy Tail. There were so many happy-go-lucky hooligans there, so many people who fought their hardest, wrecked things along the way, and lived life as they pleased. It might not be exactly the same but it appealed to her well enough. In the end, she made her choice; papers were filed and arrangements were made. She would officially become part of division eleven- if she was accepted.<p>

All in all, only one thing remained. They had all graduated, but to truly be a shinigami, one had to do some shinigami-ing, and that was the final rite of passage: her entire year, divided into teams, would go on patrol in the world of the living- and potentially face real hollows, under the supervision of an officer. The week eventually ended, and as it came, she found herself, along with her class, standing before four instructors, real soldiers of the Gotei. They were heading out. Finally, she and everyone else would test what good their training was.

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><p><strong>Heh, I don't think ANYONE saw Aizen not only being a Tutor for Erza but also the main reason she passed the academy. There was little to no doubt in my mind Erza would do well in the other areas of soul Reaper combat, but Kido? That's a bit more complex. <strong>

**Oh, and dont worry, This isn't We'll be seeing our Glasses wearing douchebag for a while. Why?...Im not telling!**

**But hey, she finally did it, She passed the academy! See, I told you we wouldn't be here for too long. I hope we did it in a way that did tis mini arc justice, as well as entertained you.**

**Also, I don't think the fact that she's going to squad 11 really surprised anyone. Its the perfect place for her.**

**Please though, stay tuned for the next chapter...Shit gets real.**

**Thank you so much for taking your time to read this, and DOUBLE thank you if you leave a review. Reviews are my greatest source of motivation and are highly appreciated. **


	7. We are the Hunters

**Written by Greatkingratt88. Thanks again man.**

**F****airy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. BLEACH is owned by Tite Kubo. Me? I own JACK SQUAT.**

**Ah yes, I LOVE the break so far. Its given me the perfect time to start watching more new anime, Like Fate Zero/Fate Stay night. Its pretty fun so far.**

**However, I figured my readers could use a gift as well, so I bring you this, Chapter 7!**

**Like always, thank you so much for reading this. I appreciate it. I also REALLY appreciate any and all reviews that are given, be they positive or negative. Reviews are still my best motivator and they also help motivate my writer as well!**

* * *

><p>"Attention! Graduate class Four B, stand to <em>attention<em>! Straighten your damn backs, tuck your shirts in, look smart, or I will personally feed you to a menos!" Erza couldn t suppress a small smile, as she and the rest of her class stood to attention. They had graduated, and all of them had applied for different squads, but the process took some time- and the Gotei, not believing in anything like prolonged times of idleness, had set up an exercise- a real patrol, out in the world of the living. And before them was seventh seat Haseyama of the seventh division, followed by three other seated officers, making ready to open a portal. Haseyama was a grim, tough kind of man, but his drill sergeant act was a little too over the top to take very seriously.

"You may all have graduated," he rumbled- a very good rumble, she noted- "but as far as we re all concerned, you lot are greenhorns. Stupid, ignorant children who'd probably sooner cut off their own head if they tried using a sword for real! So, how do we fix that?" "Um-" One unfortunate classmate piped up.  
><em>"That was a rhetorical question, soldier<em>!" Haseyama snapped. You speak when spoken to- understood?

The class was silent, seemingly not sure of what to say.  
>"I said, <em>is that understood<em>?!"

"Sir, yes sir!" They shouted, not quite uniformly.

"You've got a long way to go." Haseyama muttered. "This will be your first patrol- a real one, out in the world of the living. This is the real thing- not a sodding exercise, not make-believe, not slaying dolls or cutting each other with fake swords. You are soldiers now- and if you ignore protocols, if you don t follow orders, you could wind up dead. Questions?" "Where will we be going?" Erza said. "And will there be hollows?"

"Don't sound so eager." Haseyama said sullenly. "Since you're new, we re going on patrol somewhere not so densely populated- Mongolia , the humans call it. There will be a small town not too far away, so hollows could pop up- but it's not a high risk area. If they do pop up, remember your training and whatever you do, _don't_ try to be a hero. Being a soldier means fighting to live another day. You're no good to our cause when you re dead!" " Senpai?" One of the other shinigami said to their instructor.  
>"The portal is ready now."<p>

"Right!" Haseyama said. "We go first, then you march through, single file. Once we're through, you'll be divided in four groups, with one of us each observing you. We won't interfere unless you're in serious danger- this is up to you now. With that," Haseyama and his colleagues stepped through the gate, now opening- it looks so elegant, like two sliding doors, only they opened to reveal a desolate landscape; plains with little vegetation as far as she could see. One by one, they formed a line and walked through, and Erza felt a rush of air as she stepped through- there was such a contrast; the air was cold, there was a breeze in the air that felt like it caressed her very bones with its chill, and there was almost no reiatsu in the air. After so much time spent in the soul society, so much time learning to read and manipulate spiritual power, it was almost shocking to come back here and feel the lack of everything that made up her body, her mind; it was like having her face splashed with ice cold water.

The rest of her class seemed to react no different, uneasy looks all round, some people even looking nauseous. Marisa shivered, wrapping her arms around her chest, and Sensuke grunted, looking uncomfortable. Remon looked the same- a little bit sour, but she knew him well enough to tell he wasn t enjoying this.  
>"Well, this this was," She said, trailing off as she took a few deep breaths.<p>

"Its like being woken up by a slap to the face." Sensuke said, sounding nauseous.

"I had forgotten what the world of the living was like." Marisa mumbled. "We really aren't part of it anymore, are we? You think you have it rough? I've never even _been_ here before." Sensuke whined. "I was born in the soul society- how the hell do people live here?"

"You feeling bad, private Shinyu?" Haseyama said, as he walked up to them. His voice was deceptively smooth. "Would you like us to send you home, maybe get a nice sleep? See the medic about that nausea? Would you like that, _private_?"

As bad as he may have felt, Sensuke could see a trap coming. "Sir, no sir!" He barked, straightening himself up. "Shinyu Sensuke, ready for duty, sir!"

"_Good"_. Haseyama said, giving them a glare. "And does anyone else feel less than fit for duty?" There was a collective "Sir, no sir!" from the class arrivals, Erza included, and Haseyama nodded approvingly. "Good. Cause whoever's too chickenshit to deal with a little first-time travel instability gets two months of latrine duty." The class, which had looked mostly miserable, now looked nervously relieved.

"Form a line, greenhorns!" Haseyama barked. The class obeyed, quickly- things considered- forming a long line of twenty-four. Haseyama began strolling up and down the line, his thumbs tucked into his belt.

"So," he began, taking a tone Erza recognized as a try-hard take on you will obey my last command or else , "this is the world of the living, the one we all bleed and die to protect. Ain t it grand?" He looked around spitefully, gesturing towards the empty plains, uninterrupted only by a dead tree or two, a chilly wind still breezing across it. As the class remained silent, he continued,

"We got four routes to patrol. You do your route, get back to the rendezvous point, and we go back for lunch. Simple as that. We'll divide you in four groups, and each group gets one squad leader. You will be supervised, but there will be no interference unless you fuck up massively- or something goes really wrong. Understood?"  
>Sir, yes sir!" The class bellowed, now feeling a little less uncomfortable, in the face of having a goal laid out for them.<p>

"Good!" Haseyama began dividing them up, in groups of six. She saw Rod in one group- assigned as leader, unsurprisingly. Before long, her own group had been made- herself, Sensuke, Marisa, Remon, and two classmates she knew by name but not personally, two boys named Jiamon and Kensu.

"You're in charge, Scarlet." Haseyama said, handing her a red sash. "That means you re responsible for these idiots- so be damn careful with what you do, cause you're holding their life in your hands. Same goes for anybody who leads anyone in an organization like ours. Got it?"

Erza swallowed, and accepted the sash.

"Yes, sir.'" She said, and fastened the piece of cloth around her waist.

After Haseyama had pointed the way, and after a quick consultation of a map he'd provided, Erza led the way. It wasn't exactly easy- this steppe had no roads, no discernable paths, and precious few landmarks to follow. A big rock here, a dead tree there, and a light mist covering the area. It was a little scary- not the landscape in itself, not the possibility of hollows, but the idea that whatever happened would be her responsibility. Steeling herself mentally, she reminded herself that she had trained for this, and so had they. This was a test of skill, and if it were easy there would be no point to it. Boldly, showing courage she wasn't sure she had at this moment, she strode forward. She checked the map as often as she could, not wanting to get lost- but as they covered more and more ground, mile after mile without them being lost, she began to feel like this was doable.

"I think I sense something." Sensuke mumbled. He'd been quiet, a far cry from his normal, boisterous self. The seriousness of the situation had got to him, it seemed, as much as it had for everyone else.

"You sure?" Erza said, trying to sense for spiritual particles. Everything was so different here, so lacking.

"I can feel it- very slight, but there's a bunch of spirit particle concentrations, maybe five hundred feet ahead. And it sure doesn't feel like people."

"Holllows? Marisa asked. They did say there _might_ be..."

Haseyama nodded. ""Good call. So, what do you do in the face of a potential threat, when you're out on patrol, all on your own?"

Um, Erza began, quickly trying to dig up the right answers from her memory. "We approach with caution, assess the threat, and if the threat level is considered to be within our ability to handle, we engage and purify the hollows."

He nodded again. "And if they're above your level?"

"Run like hell, sir."

"And if that's not an option?"

"Then we fight and die facing the enemy."

"Good lass. Now, what are you waiting for- go ahead!"

"Yes sir!" Erza exclaimed. She turned to the others. "Okay, team- we're up against what's likely multiple hollows. Sensuke, any details?"

"They didn't feel overwhelmingly strong." He said nervously. "And- and this is a low threat area, so it should be safe."

Erza nodded. "I'm going first. Marisa, cover my back. Remon, Sensuke, take my left and right side. Jiamon, Kensu, take the flanks. Be ready for an attack. If they come at us, I'll try and distract them, draw them to me- hit them when you can. Understood?"

There was a chorus of affirmations, nods and 'yes' and 'sure', and Erza nodded back, and stepped forward, drawing her sword. The others followed suit, and warily the six of them advanced through the mist, their superior following a bit behind.  
>Erza felt heavy with every step, felt a tinge of nervousness and fear- but she swallowed it, pushing it aside. Focusing on the now and here, she sensed forward, sensing for reishi- and there, finally, she could feel the tinge of spiritual pressure.<p>

"Got a number, Sensuke?" She mumbled. "Or Marisa? You're better at this than me."

"I count to seven. Sensuke said quietly. But they don't feel very strong."

"Sounds right." Marisa said, her voice tense. "They seem... distracted, because they're not reacting to us. That, or they can't sense us."

"Then let's see if we can take them by surprise." Erza said resolutely. "Quiet everyone."

They kept walking, and it felt like an eternity, like the mist would never end- but before too long, she began to see the shapes of hollows further down their path- long, snake-like bodies, weak limbs, floating through the air, burying their beaked faces in what looked like the carcass of another hollow.

'They're weak.' Erza whispered. 'Weak, and small- but still vicious. I'm gonna charge in, cut one down- when you hear me cry out, the rest of you charge in. Got that?'

There was a whispered yes, sir! , and Erza advanced by herself, slowly, cautiously, trying to suppress her energy till the last possible moment. The hollows were busy, gorging themselves- she got quite close, twenty or so feet left, before one of them turned its head towards her. It hissed, and the others begun to notice. They weren't too big, just ten feet's worth of snake-like body each- she could do this.

Letting out a loud cry, she charged forward before the first hollow to notice her could react, bringing down her sword. It cut neatly into its mask, cleaving it in two, and the monster began to disintegrate. As one, the hollows moved toward her, snapping at her. Erza continued her charge, dashing forward, cutting wildly. Blood spattered her face, her uniform, as she drew blood but little else- but the goal was achieved; all six of the remaining hollows were focused on her now. She dashed forward, then left, then back where she came from. Any time now...

"SHINYU!" She heard Sensuke cry, and he slammed into a hollow from the side, tackling it, sending it spinning, before finishing it off with a heavy stroke of the sword. Remon didn't cry out, he just jumped in, running his sword through the head of one beast from below. Good- quickly, Erza turned around to face the remaining ones. Holding her sword in one hand, she grabbed one of the hollows, holding it at bay, while spearing another on her sword, it's momentum doing all the work for her. One, two, three more hollows evaporated.

Even so, that left two unanswered for, not counting the one Erza was holding on to- which was snapping and writhing, struggling to break free. The two others were coming right at her, no stopping that. Erza braced herself,and-

Hado number one: shou! And one of the hollows went flying, veering off course from a spell Marisa had fired off. She smiled, and continued:  
>Hado number thirty-three: sokatsui! White lightning erupted from her fingertips, and the hollow let out a screech as it disintegrated, completely destroyed by Marisa's magic.<p>

That left two still, both focused on Erza. She waved her sword at the oncoming hollow, but she hadn't the focus- it slipped under her guard, wrapped itself around her arm, and bit into her shoulder. Erza cried out, letting go of the other hollow to wrestle it off. She was hurting, but not badly- and the hollow was about to learn what a grave mistake it was to antagonize Erza Scarlet. Angrily, she grabbed it by the throat, slamming it down into the ground. The monster hissed, constricting around her arm, but Erza shouted back and her grip around the monster's neck hardened. Slowly, she began choking it, her fingers pushing through layers of skin and flesh, feeling bone underneath- bone that strained under her touch, beginning to crack...  
>The monster thrashed wildly, screeching as best it could with its windpipe being crushed. In its desperate throes, it let go of her arm, trying only to get free. Not wasting a moment, Erza held the hollow firmly, and thrust her sword forward, hard, right into the monster's mask. The thrashing stopped suddenly, as the monster begun to disintegrate.<p>

Erza stood up, disregarding the pain in her shoulder. What happened to the last one? She looked up, and saw Jiamon and Kensu standing over a hollow corpse, chopped into bits, their faces a mixture between relief, fear and exhilaration. The head was still twitching, not quite dead.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" She grunted, holding her shoulder. "Finish it off."

The two of them said, at once, "Yes, sir!" , and together, without much finesse, they cut into the mask. The last hollow was purified, ceasing to be.

"All right, is everyone okay?" She asked. "No injuries?"

"I- I got a small nick, but that's all." Sensuke said. "I think we're fine, excepting some scrubs and bruises."

There were some affirming nods, and Marisa said,  
>"I think we should be asking you that."<p>

Erza grimaced. She _did_ have a lot of blood on her.  
>"It looks a lot worse than it is." She said casually. "All this blood isn't even my own." She slid down her uniform a little, to have a look. She did have a wound, but it didn't look too deep.<p>

"What did I say about playing hero?" Haseyama said, stepping up out of the mist. "Good enough work, team- a bit reckless, but passable for greenhorns." He looked at Remon, who seemed to be bleeding from the shoulder. "As for you, Remon- let me see to that wound." Seeing the reluctant look on his face, he added, "That was not a request, soldier. Show it to me."

To some annoyance for the man, he insisted on bandaging and treating the wound, citing safety first- but hey, all things considered, they were doing pretty well. Seven hollows killed, everyone was okay, and all they had to do was patrol... this was going okay.

"...there." Haseyama murmured, putting the final knot in his bandage. "That should do it. Are you fit to keep on going?"

"Yes, sir." She said confidently.

"Then what are you mucking about here for? Get going- you have a route to finish!"

Erza nodded, and stepped forward again. "Everyone, clean your swords and get moving. We got work to do!"

"Yes, sir!" They said, looking heartened. They'd been through the fire, endured the heat, and had a baptism of violence. They felt like soldiers now, she could see it as clearly as she felt it herself. As one, they began marching their route, and before long they were headed back to the rendezvous, and not even the ache of her bitten shoulder bothered Erza. This wasn't so bad, was it?

After a couple of hours after setting out, the seven of them were catching sight of the rendezvous point again. Erza could see Rod's group there, Rod giving his usual, sourly defiant look. They looked a little roughed up, but nobody looked hurt.

"Did you get hollows too?" Erza said spiritedly as she came within earshot, walking up to Rod.

"A whole bunch of 'em." Rod said indifferently. "Ten or so. Nothing we couldn't handle."

"Team work was less than exemplary." Rod's supervisor said.

"Yes, I selfishly killed seven of them myself instead of giving the others a chance to get themselves seriously hurt or killed." Rod said, rolling his eyes.

"Your attitude isn't helping."

"Sounds like you did a great job." Erza said, trying to defuse the situation. "But where are the others?"

"Probably lost." Rod said, shrugging. "We nearly got lost, too- wound up being almost half an hour behind schedule, hollow-slaying included."

"I see." Erza murmured. "Ten hollows for you, seven for us... is that normal, Haseyama-senpai?"

"It's much more than expected." Haseyama said, yawning. "But not outside what you could possibly expect."

Rod bowed his head lightly. "Been a useful trip, sir. Learned a lot here, we did- so now we just wait for the others, and go home?"

"Yes..." Haseyama said, sounding distracted. "They're late, though- what are they doing?"

"I'm sure they'll be here any minute." Erza said, suppressing a small impulse of worry. "They're being looked after by your men, right?"

Yes... well, let's just wait here, shall we? They're not that late yet.

They waited for ten minutes or so, and the students chatted away happily, with excitement- now that they were used to the climate of the world of the living, now that they'd completed this first mission, their spirits were considerably higher than before. Erza too felt glad- but somehow a bit concerned, too.

Then, out of the mist, they saw the shape of a man walking- no, stumbling. He wasn't one of the students; she remembered him as one of the supervisors who had gone with them. At first Erza took it to be the patrol returning, drawing a sigh of relief- but she saw nobody else behind him. And then she saw it. His arm, a bloody stump. Blood flowing freely from his face- oh god, his _face_, it looked like it had been run through a meatgrinder, looking more like a large mess of blood and flesh and bone than a human face. He was barely walking upright, stumbling along the path towards him.  
>She heard Haseyama draw a sharp breath, hurrying towards him. The man collapsed, and Erza, all the other students too, who had been paralyzed for a second hurried up. Haseyama was holding his hand, and up close his wounds seemed even worse.<p>

"I- I ran." The man hissed, breathing in sharp, short bursts, blood pouring from his neck with every breath. "I ran away, Haseyama-senpai!"

"You keep still!" Haseyama ordered. "We'll get you some help- who did this?"

"I ran away!" The man said again, sounding desperate, and there was something haunted in his eyes. "You have to run- run away too. Run!"

"God damn it, somebody go get some bandages!" Haseyama spat, turning to his students. It was too late, though- the soldier's eyes were glassy, and he had stopped breathing.

"Damn!" Haseyama swore, desperately checking for any kind of life sign- a breath, a heartbeat, anything- but all there was was blood, trickling down on the ground and slowly coming to a halt. Erza looked around- there were all the signs of panic brewing, students looking frightened, on edge, all sense of accomplishment gone and replaced with fear.

Erza put a hand on her sword, to reassure herself. Just one man returning- this didn t look good.

"Looks like everyone else kicked the bucket." Rod said, putting words to her thoughts. "Gotta say, this looks bad."

"You sound pretty calm for a situation like this." Erza said, frowning.

"Actually, I'm scared shitless." Rod said, and there was a slight tremor in his voice, and he took a quick, deep breath. "Im just remembering something Shimura-sensei said- panic on the battlefield, and you re toast."

Erza nodded. "We don t know that they're all dead yet-"

"Whatever did that made a complete mess out of the most senior member of the group. Maybe you re an optimist, but we're better off assuming the worst."

Erza made a fist. Some first assignment She raised her voice, turning to Haseyama. "Haseyama-senpai! What do we do?!"

Haseyama stood up slowly, the blood of his subordinate all over his shihakusho. He looked odd, so odd- the look of a man processing shock, the first stages of grief. He didn't respond for a bit, his eyes having a glassy look.

"Haseyama-senpai!" She cried again.

"Shut it!" He snapped." Listen up, everyone- we need to open up a way back home right now!"

"Wait- what about the others?" Sensuke said. "They could be alive-"

"I said _right now_." Haseyama growled.

"Oh god." Marisa mumbled, looking around. "It's coming."

Erza let her senses reach, feeling for reiatsu. She wasn t the best, but it was unmistakable now- a large mass of it, rapidly approaching. And in the mist- _over_ the mist she saw it now, as did everyone else. Paralyzed with fear, they saw it leaping forward. It was absolutely enormous- at least twenty feet tall. Its body looked a little like that of a toad, but with a wide, expanded neck- a little like a cobra. It had a broad, white mask, and absurdly large teeth, drool and blood dribbling down its chin. And claws, claws like scythes on the end of its long, thin arms.

And it was coming at them at breakneck speed.

"Damn it!" Haseyama shouted, quickly drawing his sword. "Everyone on me! Katsui, open the portal! Swords out- defend yourself or-"

Erza guessed that the next word would have been you'll die , but the words never left his mouth. The hollow leapt, so damn fast for a creature so big, and crashed into Haseyama, it s clawed hand digging into his torso. Haseyama grit his teeth, digging his sword into the hand of the monster, but it was for nothing- lifting him, body skewered like a shish-kebab, the monster brought him up to eye level- and in a second, snapping like a snake, he bit off Haseyama s head. Blood sprayed out in spurts, but only briefly before the monster took the rest of his body into its mouth. Not stopping, he leapt again, towards the one remaining senior shinigami- Katsui- who was desperately trying to open the portal back. The sword was out, the doors were opening- and then the monster s clawed hand struck out, so impossibly long, cutting him clean in half. The class watched on in terror- twelve of them, one monster, and they were all so helpless. The monster looked like it shared the opinion, slowly and deliberately picking up the two pieces of what was Katsui, chewing down first his legs, then picking up his torso. Erza saw with horror that he was not dead yet- a look of helplessness and terror on his face, as he descended into the mouth of the beast, his wheezing cries for help silenced abruptly by the sickening crunch of hollow teeth grinding against each other.

Its eyes conveying a perverse pleasure, the beast began to speak, its voice conveying an arrogance, a feeling of absolute power:

_"Good day, my fine fellows."_ It chuckled darkly and slowly, and Erza could feel a gust of wind, a sickening smell of blood, both fresh and rotting, coming from its mouth. _"I am Hanyval. I will be your host for today."_ He gave a mock bow. _"Polite as I am, I must say: thank you so much for the meal. This is a feast I haven t seen in years."_

Slowly he began to advance, with the confidence of a lion approaching mice.

Erza shot a glance at her classmates. Terror running across their faces, true fear, their conviction breaking. So fresh out of academy, so inexperienced- this was not supposed to have happened, and it showed.

"Stand fast!" She shouted, just as the first of them started to run, slipping into a panicked shunpo. "Hold your ground or we'll all be hunted down! Stay together, or you'll all be killed! She grabbed one of her classmates, Jiamon. You're staying right here!"

"Let me go!" He cried.

"You heard her." Rod said, slamming a fist into his gut. "That goes for all of you- stay where you are, or I'll make you wish you were hollow chow, cause what I'll do to you will be five times worse!"

It worked- almost. Four more of their classmates dashed away, the terror of this monster overtaking all sense and reason, but the rest- herself, Rod, Remon, Sensuke, Marisa, Jiamon and Kensu, they stood their ground.

_"What adorable bravado!"_ Hanyval exclaimed, laughing again his slow, deep laugh. _"I will save you for last, my precious little desserts- you have until I pick up these stragglers. Be prepared!"_ His voice was all sarcasm, condescending them, but nevertheless Erza felt grateful for the respite. Hanyval leapt off into the mist, and half a minute later, they could hear a scream in the distance.

Well, that s it then. Didn t think I d die this fast. Remon said matter-of-factly.  
>Oh god Marisa mumbled. Just fuck. <em>Fuck<em>.

"This is it!" Sensuke said desperately. "We're all gonna die! Game over, man! Game over!"

"Shut the fuck up." Rod said coldly. "If that's what you re all thinking, then _sure_ we re gonna die. But maybe it s just me, but I'm not gonna take it lying down."

Erza nodded enthusiastically. "We can get out of this. Trust me. I- I was raised in a place where you never give up, no matter what. Where you rely on each other to get through whatever comes your way, thick or thin. And I m telling you, together we can make it. Somebody will send help if we re not back on time. Maybe we can t beat it, maybe we can- but we sure as hell can hold out. Trust me!"

Erza wasn t sure if she believed what she said, not fully, but it was something you had to say at a time like this.

Marisa nodded. "I trust you. Yeah. We can do this."

"If we get out of this, will you go out with me?" Sensuke said, hissing desperately in what would have to pass for a laugh.

"He's already making jokes." Rod mumbled.

"Marisa." Erza said. "We know it's strong- but do you have a read on how strong?"

"Huge class." She mumbled. "Reiatsu level, in proportion to our own- probably at least seven times more than we're meant to handle. He was very far evolved too- probably old and experienced."

"He had some pretty clumsy moves on his forearms." Rod piped in. "Very fast, but predictable- I don't think his joints let him move them very smoothly."

Erza nodded again, taking it in. "We're gonna need teamwork on this. The best there ever was. Rod and I are the fastest, so we'll try and distract him from the front. Once we ve got the attention of his arms, the rest of you flank him- Marisa, I want you to fire whatever kido you can from behind. Remon, Sensuke, tale left flank. Jiamon, Kensu, take right. Hit whatever place you can- a joint, his sides, wherever you can hurt him."

They all nodded, a small chorus of yes coming from the small crowd. They were terrified, scared to death and at the brink of despair, but they weren t falling into the abyss just yet.

"Hear that?" Rod said.

"What?" Erza said, listening around.

"Exactly- nothing. There s no more screams. He'll be coming soon."

Erza looked through the mist, and everything felt so slow. Every breath felt like a minute, every movement down to moving a finger felt like moving through tar. She felt it out there, a malevolent mass of spiritual energy, hate and strength. Raw power, heading their way .

"Make ready." She said, swallowing her fear. "Assume formation. Rod, by me." She stepped forward, holding her sword out. Rod was right by her side, just a yard or two to her right. She had a quick look- her team was following her instructions so far.

And there it was, walking through the mist, its long, thin clawed arms being the first to emerge. So slowly, yet so horrifyingly quickly, it walked forward out of the mist. More blood down its chin, more death surrounding it- and here it was before them.

"Well, well, my little desserts-" it began, but Erza wasn t in the mood for monologues.

"CHARGE!" She roared, dashing headlong into battle. Hopping forward at her fastest shunpo, she put all her strength into a fierce, hard blow. She connected hard with Hanyval s clawed arm- the monster didn t even try to dodge. But, surprisingly, his arm was forced back, into his chest, and the monster took half a step backward to keep balance. She hadn t really hurt it; there was just a chip in its thick hide- but that wasn t the idea. Dashing under the monster s claw, Rod jumped up, cutting into the monster s throat- not deep, but blood was drawn, splashing out in a wide arc. And at the same time, from every angle, her team came in, cutting into the monster s sides, its legs, knee joints, moving as fast as could while he was distracted.  
>And Hanyval began to stagger. He stood up tall, taking one step back, two steps back- he looked almost like he d overbalance, and though a mask couldn t convey emotion, he looked surprised. And for just a moment, Erza felt so proud- they were doing it, fighting together. This was the fairy tail way; never give up, never surrender, and triumph.<p>

"Don't give him time to recover!" She shouted, eagerly cutting at the beast s arm, each sword blow leaving a mark, a nick, even drawing blood through its thick hide. Monsters be damned- she could and would fight to the death if she had to!

Of course, it wasn t that easy. Nothing ever is. Hanyval roared, and lashed out quickly at Erza, ignoring the others. She just barely avoided a hard hit- damn, that thing was fast!- but even dodging, she took a glancing blow, and was sent tumbling. She wasted no time, using the momentum of the hit to roll back up on her feet, and got back up just in time to see Rod, zig-zagging around the beast s legs, finally dashing upwards for a hit-  
>And with calculated precision, Hanyval's clawed arm came down, its palm slamming into Rod s body. There was a dull thud as he hit the ground, and not a sound was made- he was lying there, still and quiet, some blood trickling from his forehead.<p>

"Regroup!" Erza shouted. "Everyone, to me!" There would be time to worry about him later- right now, the rest of them had to survive.

Obeying her as quick as they could, the others jumped away, narrowly avoiding some quick, fierce swipes.

"Damn." Remon murmured, breathing heavily.

"We can do it." Erza said confidently- more confidently than she really felt. "We managed to drive him back just now- keep going."

Hanyval looked at them, standing tall. There were small cuts on his body, little places where he bled- but they were like paper cuts, small, insignificant.  
><em>"I knew there was a reason I saved you for last."<em> He said gleefully.

"Same formations!" Erza barked. "Be ready-"

Her next order didn t come out, as Hanyval leapt towards them with immense speed. Trained as they were, the graduates scattered, avoiding the attack. Erza jumped back, then held her sword high, charging forward-  
>And then she saw it. Marisa, on the back foot against the monster, desperately firing off a kido. The magic simply glanced against the monster s cheek, and its claws surged forward-<p>

The world seemed to move in slow motion. Erza was speeding forward with desperate speed and strength, a fury rising in her chest- "_Die die die die die!"-_ and then the monster's hands connected, running right through Marisa s chest. Erza saw a shocked expression on her friend s face as she gasped for air, and she could see four black spines running out through her back, slick with blood. Then, Hanyval flicked his hand, and Marisa s lifeless body went tumbling on the steppe, blood spraying as it went.

_"DIE!"_ Erza roared, and something burst inside her. Anger so great that she couldn't even take it all in, so great that her thoughts seemed to become nothing but a singular instinct of hatred rose in her, and she charged forward. She slammed her sword s blade into the monster s bloodied arm, swinging it hard like it were a club, going into a frenzy-  
>And then Hanyval s other arm shot out, pinning her to the ground. She felt his filthy claws, sticky with blood, pushing against her body, but through the rage it didn t matter. She struggled, only one arm free, frantically beating and pushing at the hand to break free. She could see Hanyval raise his arm, ready to spear her<p>

And then, from the side came Jiamon and Kensu, again cutting at its knees, and cutting at the hand pinning her was Remon. And at the front, frantically cutting at its mask, was Sensuke, moving like he never had before; his life was at stake and he was fighting the best he ever had. Annoyed, Hanyval grunted and his grip on Erza loosened. Remon grabbed her, and quickly she pulled herself away, getting on her feet again. She took a couple of deep breaths, readying herself again. Sensuke was still fighting, slipping in and out of shunpo, dodging one blow after another.

"Come catch me, you ugly brute!" He roared, firing of a shakkaho into its face. "Come take me! I am Shinyu Sensuke, and I am going to-" And then Hanyval s mouth shot forward, snapping at him. Sensuke barely avoided having his head bit off- but caught just barely in its teeth was his arm. Slowly, the monster began to bite into it, and there was an audible snap as the arm broke. Sensuke screamed, desperately bashing the hilt of his sword against its mask. Unconcerned, the monster reached up with one arm, grabbed him, and carefully pushed him into his maw. Erza saw his face for the last time, desperate and afraid- and then there was one crunch, two crunch, three crunches as the monster began to chew, and the screams silenced.

Erza stood as if paralyzed. Her anger was still there, but it had been joined by something else. _Fear_. She saw this monster, and she saw doom- for her comrades, and for her. Jiamon and Kensu, who had not let up, but ignored completely, got its attention now. He looked down, a malicious glare in his eye, and lashed out against Jiamon. He dodged the first hit, but Hanyval followed him with his eyes, well accustomed as a hunter- and then his claws made a swipe, and suddenly Jiamon was cut in two. Kensu looked in horror, his resolve finally breaking, and he turned and ran.

"To the end, Erza Scarlet!" Remon shouted, punching her in the shoulder. "Come on!"

Snapped out of her shock, Erza slipped into a shunpo right along with Remon, charging at the monster with reckless abandon. Here at life s end, at the brink of being dead and alive, there was now the strangest sensation- hate, rage, sorrow, vindictiveness, but also a feeling that there was nothing to lose, that nothing mattered other than her sword and using it properly.  
>They charged, quick as they could, but it was too late for Kensu. With a single leap, Hanyval had closed the distance, skewering the poor boy with his spear-like talons.<p>

"To the end, then!" She shouted, nodding to Remon. He nodded, and dashed to the right. Hanyval turned around, as if in expectation, and there was so much confidence in his pose- such assurance that he was in charge. _And_, a small, logical part of Erza s mind said, _he isn't wrong._

But that little part was drowned out, overrun by purpose, by hatred. Shouting her anger out loud, to the heavens for all to hear, she leapt forward, her blade poised to stab. The monster swept at her, but she saw it coming- so slowly, and anticipating it, she grabbed at the arm as soon as it was within reach, pulling herself over it, continuing in under his guard. Going right for his neck, she stabbed her blade in- and in it sunk, the blade going halfway there. Furiously, she tore at it, twisting it as much as she could, just doing whatever damage she could. The monster cried out, its other arm shooting right for her- and there was Remon, cutting into it, distracting him. Sneering angrily, Hanyval lashed out, his other arm slamming into Remon, and he fell to the ground. Erza barely registered it, furiously working at the wound, tearing and gouging. Maim! Kill! Hurt! DIE!

And then, straining under the pressure of her own strength, and the toughness of the monster s hide, it snapped, and Erza fell down to the ground. The monster grunted irritably, slowly reaching up to pull out the half of the blade that remained in its thick, tough neck.

"I have to say," He began, gently beginning to pull out the blade with a delicate touch that seemed strange for such gargantuan monster, _"you were good sport. I'll remember you as one of the finest meals I had."_

Erza tried to think of some words of defiance, some last words of fury in the face of death, but managed only to hiss and spit at it, as she struggled to get up on her feet.

And then the world was a little greyer.

"Have you lost your will to climb?"

Aizen Sousuke observed carefully from a distance, standing a comfortable five hundred or so feet away from the battle. He could not see a thing, of course- considerable distance aside, the mist was blocking everything. But the thing about being a brilliant shinigami was that so long as it was a matter of reading spiritual energy, eyes were really more of an accessory than a necessity. Even closing his eyes, he could see the picture perfectly clearly- blood being spilled, bodies on their last breath, every second taking them closer to death. Just one left fighting- and one huge hollow of mediocre power. Boredom had taken him here; his usual experiments were getting tedious, as was maintaining his many schemes, so he had followed this patrol, to clear his head, make an exercise out of observation. He had toyed with the idea of letting loose some hollows just to watch what happened- but providence, it seemed, had already provided more than enough of that.

He adjusted his glasses slightly. Erza Scarlet relatively quick-witted, strong and determinate, and so terribly outmatched. Shame; she might have made an interesting experiment subject at some point. He made a mental note of tracking down that particular hollow- there would be some interesting data to him, undoubtedly. He yawned, half ready to return back home. The outcome was clear; nothing much else to this- the hero was dying, the monster was winning, and he was running late for tea.

Then, he felt a small surge in power, building up slowly. A furious little burst, like a small dog with a big bark, standing tall in its shortness, defiant though delusional about its strength. Perhaps there was something to Erza Scarlet, after all?

It was surreal. Again, reality was blurred with dust and wind and mountain; she could see the hollow s raised arm ready to come down on her, moving slowly, absurdly slowly, almost still- but coming down on here nonetheless. She could see it as clearly as she saw the dust whirling all around her. And looking up at the mountain, so clearly there and so clearly not, she heard it speak to her.

_"Have you lost your will to fight? To live?"_

"To hell with you!" Erza spat. "I have done_ everything_- and if you re a part of me, if you come from in here- she tapped her head with a finger- then you _know_ I m not giving up. So shut up and let me die, if that s what s coming next!"

_"You are yourself as you always were."_ The mountain said cryptically. "_And I am you- but a younger you, one that desires to live."_

"What do you want?" She shouted, her voice cracking.

_W"e want to live."_ The voice said, for the first time showing some emotion, a hint of concern. "_You must not die yet. You are not yet ready- but because we wish to live, I shall lend you my power for an instant. It will hurt you- are you ready?"_

"I am ready, all right." Erza said bitterly. "Whatever you got to do, do it."

And the landscape faded and all that was left was reality; bloodstained, dying reality, monster and dead bodies, steppe and mist- and a clawed hand coming down.  
>And she felt the power in her, surging through her, burning like fire. Standing up, she burst forward, past the claw that hit her, slashing widely as she hopped into the air, the force of her reiatsu slashing forward in a red, destructive arc. The force bit into Hanyval, cutting from his wretched hip to his wretched shoulder, blood so red it looked black staining her face, her clothes.<p>

Hanyval let out a long, shrieking howl, and staggered back, clutching his side. Blood spilled out copiously, and he was breathing long, heavy breaths. Erza felt the force, the power, like nothing ever before- and her hate gave her the will to use it. Shouting an incomprehensible curse at the monster, she struck again, and again, leaving deep, bleeding cuts. He tried to defend himself, block her blows with his arms, but Erza was relentless, pounding him over and over, each strike drawing blood, cutting deep into its flesh. Finally, Erza hit one hard, long final time, and the monster s arm cracked. Breathing heavily, Erza faced him. The power was draining now- but he was grievously injured.

He gave her a look of long, vicious hate, and Erza felt a sinking feeling- the power was draining from her, rapidly; she d be helpless- but the hollow finally turned away from her, ripping open a portal to the world it had come from. Erza sunk to her knees, exhausted. She sat like that for several minutes- or it could have been hours, or it could have been seconds. Time had lost meaning. Slowly, she looked around her. There was Remon, his body crushed, drawing a few last, raspy breaths. There was Marisa, her body broken, nearly torn in half. There was Kensu, dead from the hollow s claws. There was Jiamon- both halves of him. And there was what was left of Sensuke- just the stump of an arm. She was sitting in a field of blood, all alone, and it began to sink in- everyone had died, every single one of them but her-

"Damn." Erza breathed in sharply, at the sound of that voice. Dry, tired, so haunted, but unmistakable. She turned around, and there was Rod, barely standing.

"You!" She began, breathing fast. She felt a wave of nausea run over her, and struggled to keep herself collected. "You-"

"They all died, huh." Rod said flatly, just barely hanging on to his sword. "I'm so sorry, Scarlet."

"I-" Erza said, unsure of how to react, what to say. "You did your best."

"It wasn't bloody good enough, was it?" Rod snapped, and a look of helplessness flashed across his face. Slowly, he walked up to her, sitting down on the ground across her. "Everyone's gone. And there was nothing we could do. Who'd have figured?" He raised his sword, letting it rest against his shoulder.

Erza shook her head slowly. "We're still alive." She said weakly.

"I'm sorry, Scarlet." He said again, pain running through his voice.

"I told you-"

"Sorry, cause you got to figure this one out by yourself." He said, slowly positioning the tip of his blade against his neck. "Sorry you'll have to see more of this."

There was something unbearably matter-of-factly about his voice, and she could see his wrist tense, ready to push upward, cut into his neck-

_"NO!"_ She cried. Ignoring all exhaustion, she sprung forward, grabbing the blade in her hand. It cut into her palm, drawing blood, but she held on to it stubbornly.

"What are you doing?" Rod asked, sounding confused. "I'm-"

"Don't do it." Erza said, steel in her voice. "Don't you do it, Rod Sentry."

"Why not?" He said, sounding defeated- but she could feel his grip slacken. "I'm an arsehole- that s why I didn t make any friends in school. The only people who could stand me just they're gone now, and I couldn't even help. I don't deserve more than this."

"Yes, you do." Erza said resolutely, holding on to the blade. It hurt, her blood staining it, but she held on, refusing to let go. "From now on, I'll be your friend, and you'll be mine. And we re going to make _something_ out of this. We're going to-" She let out an almost sob, a tear running down her cheek. "We're going to remember them, Rod! Together! Don t you dare leave that to just me!"

Rod shook his head, and let go of the sword. "You always were stronger." he mumbled.

"No, I'm not." She said, finally letting go of the sword. "We're all weak. That s why we need each other, to lean on. Without others, we re nothing. We'll get through, and we're going to make sure this wasn t for nothing."

"You're a wreck." He said plainly.

"So are you."

The two of them sat in silence for a long time, feeling the pain of their injuries, speaking no words, trying their best to ignore the death they had just witnessed.

And eventually, that was how the rescue party found them- sitting silent, covered in the blood of their comrades, their eyes all but dead as they stared into the distance.

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><p><strong>Well SHIT! That sure was dark wasn't it? I bet none of you saw THAT coming huh? <strong>

**Now, the reason why I went this route is simple. The battles that Soul reapers and Hollows engage in are part of a never ending war. In war, their are casualty's, usually on both sides. Now, early Bleach made a good point on this, but lately, it seems to have been forgotten since the good guys always survive their battles...Final arc withstanding so far though with Yammamoto, Sasikibe, Kira, and from the looks of it, the head of the royal guard as of chapter 610. **

**What I WANTED to do here, was to show Erza that life here, that this profession, is NOT an easy one. The fatality rate of soul reapers is likely much higher than that of wizards back in Fiore. It was best for her to learn that lesson as soon as possible in my opinion, and what better way then to kill all of her classmates!?**

**Now I know that seems fucked up...and it is, but I remember something a friend of mine, a writer on this site once told me.**

**"If you love your character, then torture them. Make them go through hell and all kinds of torment .You do this, to show just what their really made of and so they can grow as a character."**

**Erza Scarlet is, without a doubt, my favorite character in all of fiction, and I KNOW something like this, while extremely harsh, cruel and depressing, can not and WILL NOT break her. It will give her something she needs for the journey ahead. **

**Motivation. Motivation to get stronger. To become strong enough to protect all of her comerades, and to ensure something like this NEVER happens again.**

**But please, do tell me what you thought of this chapter. Feedback of all kind is welcome and appreciated. **


	8. The pain of loss, and new beginings

**Written by Greatkingratt88. Thanks again man.**

**F****airy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. BLEACH is owned by Tite Kubo. Me? I own JACK SQUAT.**

**Well, in about one week, its back to college for me. Joy. **

**Still, Ill enjoy myself the best that I can and I hope you all can do the same. Thanks for all the reviews you've left. I might not have a lot, but each one of them inspires me to continue this story.**

**So please, keep on reading and leaving reviews. ALL input is welcome. Also, if you have any ideas you want to see in this, feel free to tell me about them. If I like them enough, I just might use them!**

**Thanks once again, and Enjoy!**

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><p>There was a great mass of nothing, the merciful sensation of feeling nothing of all. Then there were dreams, terrible, terrible dreams where she saw familiar faces, young and old, all torn down and destroyed in a sea of blood. Then, at last, Erza Scarlet knew herself again, slowly waking from her sleep. She was still half asleep, and she was waking so slowly- it was like being underwater, reaching for the surface all too slowly; except the surface was coming inexorably closer, whether she liked it or not.<p>

She had a thought. A very simple thought, but a conscious thought nonetheless.

_I feel so tired._

Why did she feel so tired? Where was this? Could she just sleep again? No- there came that rush, and the land of dreams faded away, and the memories of her dreams- thankfully- washed away like a sand castle under a wave, and Erza opened her eyes again. Moving her head slightly, she yawned, and looked around. There was some source of light, nearly blinding her- a window, perhaps? She blinked frantically, until her eyes had adjusted to the light. She saw the white, clean walls of a hospital room. Why... was she in a hospital?  
>Defying her tiredness, she made a fist, and prepared to get up on her feet. As she stretched her muscles- sore and stiff; she had to have been asleep for a long time- she felt the pain in her body, and saw the bandages.<p>

And, hitting her like a speeding locomotive, the memories came back. Everyone was gone! Erza sat bolt upright, almost welcoming the pain of her not-quite-healed wounds. She remembered it- she remembered Marisa, she remembered Sensuke, she remembered Remon. She remembered her close friends, her classmates, and... She could not actively think about it, nothing could make her do that at this moment, but her mind filled with images. A desolate land, covered in blood and body parts, the sounds of despaired cries resonating through the air. Good people- Marisa, who had helped her through school when she would have failed without her, Sensuke who'd make her laugh, who was such a goof but so loyal, Remon who was so sour, down-to-earth and so much better of a person than he'd ever admit...

They were all dead.

Dead.

_Dead._

A wave of nausea hit her, and her body convulsed. She arched forward, retching, spitting. She couldn't vomit properly- only a little gall came out, tasting bitter in her mouth. She stayed bent forward for a few minutes, letting her body jerk, trying to spew out food that wasn't there. She felt so nauseous, so weak and sick, but it was better than feeling what she'd felt the moment before- the full weight of her memories. The dizziness, the sickness, it helped.  
>But nothing lasts forever, and eventually her body settled down, and the images in her mind came back. They had never really left- it was not like the vision of a zanpakuto's realm, but she could see it before her eyes clear as day, in all its terror.<p>

She had watched them die.

She had rallied them, given them hope, fought against the odds, promised them they could do this.

And they were all dead now.

She had failed them completely. And in one mad moment, Erza found herself genuinely wishing she had died there too, that she had joined her friends to the very end, that she hadn't lived on- that she could feel like less of a coward, less of a traitor.

But even at the brink of despair, Erza Scarlet had a will harder than steel, forged in the furnaces of Fairy Tail and tempered by friendship, violence and determination. Angrily, she pushed that notion aside- she did inot/i want to be dead, she did inot/i want to give up.

But she had let them down.

A small, reasonable part of her mind insisted that well, this couldn't be her fault, that sometimes you get overpowered and there's nothing to be done about it. And it wasn't untrue, she recognized that.

But it didn't make her feel any better, or any less guilty. A tear trailed down her cheek, and Erza, feeling grief, frustration, anger, hate, and helplessness all at once, banged her fist against the side of the bed. It was metal, hard and well reinforced, and it hurt when she banged her fist into it, over and over- but she didn't care. She barely even felt the pain; it was like her body was elsewhere, like all sensations were surreal. Tears flowed freely down her cheek, and she let out one loud cry after another, like a wounded animal. In that moment, it could barely be said that Erza knew herself, who she was, what she wanted- all that was, was a raw ball of primal emotion, of feelings too great to handle all at once. She screamed, cried, raged towards the heavens- or rather, the hospital ceiling- until she could cry no more, falling back into her bed from exhaustion, breathing rapidly.

Slowly, she began to think again. Her heard hurt, her hand even more so. Feeling the hurt, she focused on it, trying not to think of the unthinkable. It didn't quite work- she still saw their faces, ruined and stained with blood, but it was... distracting enough that it became bearable. She lay there, not knowing quite for how long, and somehow, through some small miracle, she drifted back into merciful unconsciousness. She had to have, because some time later, she opened up her eyes again, feeling the aches in her body, the pain in her hand.  
>She didn't remember falling asleep, though. She closed her eyes again, and felt the tears, almost welling up again...<p>

"Hello? "It was a soft, gentle voice, speaking quietly to her. Erza considered ignoring it, just rolling over and sleeping forever- but, she knew, there was a world out there and she was part of it.

"Hello? Are you awake?" The voice said gently.

Erza opened her eyes, and turned to look. Sitting right next to her bed was a shinigami- she might have thought it was a boy at first glance, if not for the noticeable chest she had. She had pale hair, bordering on white, and a sombre, kind expression on her face.

"Who are you?" Erza mumbled.

"I am Kotetsu Isane." The shinigami said, keeping the same gentle, quiet tone. Fourth seat of the fourth division, and your doctor.

Erza, not having anything in particular to say, remained silent.

"It looks like you hurt your hand." Isane said after a short pause. "Would you let me look at it?" Carefully, she reached out, taking Erza's wrist.

"I don't care." Erza mumbled, pulling her hand back. It really did hurt- but so what?

"Please?" Isane said, producing a bandage.

Not replying, Erza relaxed her arm, letting Isane take it. She examined it carefully, before wrapping the bandage around Erza's hand, slowly and carefully, with the confidence of a craftswoman who had done this a thousand times before.  
>"It's a mild fracture, but nothing terrible." Isane said reassuringly. "It's not nowhere near as bad as your other injuries- when you came in here, most of your rib cage was broken, your sword arm was broken in five places and the muscles had torn, and you had multiple lacerations all over your body- you were bleeding something terrible. There's no need to worry, though- you're mostly recovered now."<p>

"I don't care." Erza said coldly. She really didn't. What business did this woman have, talking about petty things like injuries, when her friends lay dead?  
>That small, reasonable part of her mind reminded her that she meant no ill, that she was a doctor doing her job, but Erza wasn't much in the mood to listen.<p>

"You will make a full recovery." Isane said, finishing the bandage. Erza gave her a look. Then it struck her- in all her grief, she had forgotten- _not everyone was dead._ Rod! He had been alive last she remembered, before everything got blurry.

"I- doctor!" Erza exclaimed, once again overwhelmed with emotion. Isane looked at her, and Erza took a moment to collect herself.  
>"There... was I the only one?" Erza said, bracing herself.<p>

"The only one?" Isane said. "You mean from the inci-"

"Yes, the incident." Erza said, feeling another tinge of nausea. "Please, just tell me. Where is he?!"

"Aside from yourself, Rodrigo Sentry survived too, with far fewer injuries. He is currently in therapy in the psychiatric ward."

Erza let out a heavy breath, and somehow it felt like a stone lifting off her shoulders. She wasn't alone. She had- she had saved him then and there. Something good had come of what she'd done.  
>And then she realized that Rod must feel the same things she felt, that what she had done might not be good at all, and the nausea came again, stronger this time. She put a hand over her mouth, and a tear trailed from her eye down her cheek. Isane put a hand on her shoulder, gently stroking it.<p>

"They say it's a miracle you survived." She said softly. "And I know you feel terrible right now. But this is the worst it will ever be. You may not be able to believe it, but it will get better."

"What do you know?" Erza snapped. What the _hell_ makes you think you can just say that?"

"You're not the first person in the world to lose somebody." Isane stood up. "I'll leave you alone for now- but not for too long." She turned, and walked towards the door. "And there is one thing you should know- I have kept it off for a while, and I will continue to keep it off for as long as I can, but an... incident like this gets people worried. Within a few days, there will be people coming to you asking questions. They might get pushy." Isane frowned, and there was a look of disapproval on her face. "I want you to know you are safe here. You have nothing to fear. Investigators can be a bit overly thorough, though- I'll make sure to be here when the time comes."

Erza blinked. What a bizarre notion- interrogation. Official reports. Such inormal/i ideas. The world, carrying on like her friends had never died at all.

"What... what do I do?" She said weakly.

"Well, you keep calm-"

"No, not about that." Erza mumbled dismissively. "They- they're all gone, and, and-" She choked up, unable to finish the sentence.

"It will hurt forever." Isane said quietly. "And that means they meant something to you. Remember them, Erza. Honour their memory. That's all you can do for them now."

Stumped, weak and wordless, Erza simply nodded. Isane nodded back.

"I have to go now." She said, opening the door. "But I'll be back. I'll send somebody over with a sedative, if you need help sleeping too."

Erza might have appreciated the concern, but where she was now, all she could do was lie back, and wait to fall back into sleep once more.

Erza later learned that she had been unconscious for two weeks, and she would spend six more weeks in that hospital too. She was healed fully after three, but the captain of division four, Unohana Retsu, explained to her that healing was about more than just cuts closing, bones mending or illnesses passing. The mind needed to heal too, and to that effect, Erza would spend much time talking with Isane, processing her emotions as best as she could. She was never pressured to talk, but eventually she was able to face it- all that death, that she could not have helped it, that she had lost precious people who would never come back. It was not quite healing, but it helped. Isane was a kind, understanding person, and just talking about it went a long way.

She _was_ pressured to talk about the incident by second division investigators, though, however much Isane protested. She was asked to rebuild the scenario in as much detail as possible, over and over, by suspicious men with stone-faced indifference and no tolerance for inconsistency. In the end, for all the grilling- it hurt her, but she forced herself through it- it was declared a freak accident. An act of god, a tragic mishap that should never have happened.

It was almost unbelievable. What had happened out there on the plains had been unfair, unimaginably unfair. To think there was no design to it, that this just _happened_ was almost too much to swallow. But as she now knew, the universe did not care what you thought was believable. It did not care who you loved, or how you felt, or how strong or weak you were. An accident had happened; it seemed to be nobody's fault- there really had been no indication that place would be a hub of spiritual energy; no numbers had been tampered with- and she was left to deal with it by herself.  
>The investigation closed, but not the questions that came with it. When she did walk outside, people whispered, pointed. She was the massacre survivor, the blood-baptized student thrust into their world in the cruelest way possible. The scarlet massacre , they called it- words whispered behind her back, never said to her face. Erza hated it. They'd look at her like she was broken, damaged goods- something to be cautious about. And honestly, was she not broken? Such thoughts would come to her every now and then- and each time, she pushed them away. She was Erza Scarlet. She was everything Fairy Tail should be. She would <em>not<em> crack.

At least, that's what she told herself, but at night, alone with her mind in the dark, she had a hard time believing it.

"And how are you feeling today?" Isane said. It was two in the afternoon, and Erza, who after over two months of care had finally been allowed to do some menial chores, was back for another session with Isane.

"Okay, I guess." Erza said, shrugging. No worse than yesterday or the day before that. She took a seat on the couch, in the simple white-walled room where Isane had her office.

"Have you had any more nightmares?"

Erza flinched. "They... come and go. Less frequently, at least."

"Any recently?" Seeing Erza's expression, she reassuringly said, "You don't have to. This is all about you- we'll talk about what you want to talk about."

"No, it's fine..." Erza mumbled. "Mostly, it's just them. The three of them... I dreamed about them just last night."

"Which one was it this time?"

"The one where they just stand around, pale as ghosts, just staring at me. And they don't point fingers, or blame me, but I can ifeel/i it- in the dream, they're disappointed. I should be with them, they think- I was wrong to survive..."

"It's common, of course." Isane nodded. "Our psyche- our minds- have a way of creating coping strategies. Grief is overwhelming, even when it's just one person- when it's several... sometimes I am surprised you didn't repress any of it."

"Sometimes I wish I could." Erza leaned forward, crossing her fingers. This was always a little uncomfortable- but she trusted Isane so far.

"Feeling guilt in a situation like this is perfectly normal."

"I know- you told me a hundred times."

"Some things can never be emphasized enough. You left friends behind when you died and came here- did you feel guilty about that?"

"No, just... sad, I guess." She mumbled, feeling a pang of emotion at the thought of them.

"And then you made new friends, forming an attachment... for a personality like yours, with such a fixation on close bonds, protection and companionship, this had to be especially disastrous- we all define ourselves through other people, but a collectivist individual like yourself even more so than others."

"A what now?"

"Somebody who's really used to being part of a group. What you're experiencing isn't just grief- it's the trauma of an emotional handicap, of being alone when you've lived your life- and afterlife- always in the company of others."

"So what, I just make new friends? Forget about the others?" Erza snapped, feeling anger rising in her chest. That reasonable part of her knew that this was not what Isane meant, that she was just a doctor caring for her patient, doing what she thought was best- but emotion wasn't terribly rational.

Isane shook her head. "No, that's not what I wanted to say at all. But I am saying you are the kind of person who needs other people. You are strong, very strong, but what are you, in your own opinion, without your friends?"

"What the hell do you even mean?" Erza said irritably. "Do you want me to say I'm nothing without them? That it's just pointless being alone, that I- I- she choked up. 'Cause it's true, you know. I... without them... " She fought not to cry again; she had cried enough already.

"Some people thrive on loneliness." Isane said gently. "And you are not one of those people."

"So what- do I just go out, walk up to somebody and go 'Hallo, want to be my friend'? It doesn't come that easy!"

"No, but don't close yourself to new possibilities. You've been through something horrible- but if you let that close your heart, it will only get worse."

Erza was breathing heavily, holding back the tears.

"How about this?" Isane said, putting a hand on Erza's shoulder. "You couldn't save them that day. Nobody short of a captain could have saved everyone there. They are gone- but they live in your memory. And the way I see it, you have a choice. You can either let this incident define who you are, become one with your pain and never face reality again- or you could use it."

"Use it?" Erza said despairingly. "What- what the hell does that mean?"

"Your friends died that day. But perhaps... perhaps you can remember that when you swing your sword the next time. Become stronger, and remember this every time it gets hard. Become stronger, so that it will never happen again, never when you're around. Become stronger- aim for the top. Become a captain. Protect the people who need protecting. Be the best you can be, and use this... tragedy. Let it motivate you."

Erza looked at her confusedly, a tear at the edge of her eye. "...you think I could become a captain?"

Isane smiled. "I've reviewed your combat data. You have exceedingly strong spiritual energy, and an explosive increase in combat skills across the board from when you started school. Few people can shoot for the stars in the Gotei- but you are one of them. Give it your all, and you can make it. I have faith in you."

Erza took a deep breath. "You're saying this 'cause you're my doctor, though."

"It's true, I'm probably biased- but that doesn't mean what I said isn't true. You are exceptional. Use that to help people. I can think of nothing more therapeutic."

Erza sighed. "Thanks, doctor." She sniffed, wiping the corner of her eye.

Isane smiled. "Don't mention it. I think we've made great progress here today."

That would not be the last of her visits, not for years to come, but Erza was slowly learning to move on. Life found a way to keep going, through pain and horror and weakness, because if it didn't it wouldn't be life anymore, and Erza was very much alive. She did her chores, took her sessions, and one day at a time, life moved on. Without her friends, but with Erza still in it, not clinging to her past any more than necessary.

She slept uneasily, though. Her dreams were still haunted by the pale, dead faces of her friends, staring down at her. Sometimes accusing, sometimes pitying her, sometimes, rarely, even smiling. She did not relish sleep, even when she was dead tired, for the night was long and full of terrors.  
>And even in her inner world, in the realm of her zanpakutou, things had changed. She still couldn't climb that mountain, she still got an inch further every time- but the sky had turned red, the colour of a dark pink, and the ground was scarred with cracks. She wondered often whether this was because of what had happened to her, or because she'd been forced to use the power of her blade before it was time. At any rate, climbing was no easier.<p>

But climb, she did.

A couple weeks later, Erza was once again wrapping up a session with Isane. The doctor had been very helpful to her so far, though the road to healing was slow.

"I dunno, Isane..." Erza muttered, leaning back in her chair. "I'm feeling better. Things are... fine."

"You don't sound that convinced, you know." Isane said, smiling lightly. "You're doing better, but you're not 'fine', in my opinion, not yet."

Erza groaned. "So will I be clear for service any time soon? I mean, I do still have nightmares, but I'm not unfit for duty, you know."

"Soon." Isane said reassuringly.

"You've said that a lot of times."

"If you'd like to make a complaint to Captain Unohana about this, you're free to do so."

"No, no, by all means let's not bother her." Erza said, holding up her hands. That captain had a way of terrorizing you with just a smile, and while she wasn't sure _why_ she was so scary, she wasn't keen to try and find out. "Still... I'm doing well. What kind of progress is there left that I can make just by sitting around and talking? I've talked about how 'that makes me feel' a million times now."

Isane nodded. "It's true. Some of your therapy is... getting stale in some ways. To be honest, I'm not sure we can just spur the process forward- sometimes, change comes slowly."

"There's nothing I can do, then? Or you?"

"No..." Isane said, but Erza noticed something different in her voice.

"Nothing, really? Not anything?"

"I think maybe we should focus on-"

"If you know something, tell me." Erza said sharply.

"There is... one thing that came to mind. But I don't want to say- it's best if you let it go."

"You don't get to say half a sentence." Erza nodded enthusiastically, her tone coaxing. "Come on- don't leave me hanging."

"I don't want to say," Isane said carefully, "because what came to mind could do more damage than good. And once I told you, you wouldn't let go. You really should think carefully-"

"Think carefully about what? Something I don't know? What is it?" Erza sighed. "Come on, doctor, _please_?"

"...there is a way," Isane began hesitantly, "a way, _theoretically_, where you can observe the living from afar. There's a newly created device from the twelfth division. It's meant as a spying mechanism, but it doesn't have to be one. And it could show you the living- the people you left behind, and what they do. What life without you is like. You'd be able to see how they are doing- and how they've moved on without you. You shouldn't- you're dead, you're in the afterlife, and you should move on. It would be a form of self-inflicted emotional torture, the worst form of nostalgia. Do you want that?"

"...it could show me my old friends?" Erza said, almost breathlessly. "Even if they are from another world?" It had become clear to her, over time, that her world of the living was not the same as the regular world. A mystery for another time; nothing she knew how to answer.

"I am told the machine links you to your past, using your memories as a sort of... beacon. So yes. In theory."

Erza put a hand over her mouth, feeling a little overwhelmed at the thought. To see them all again- to see them, see what they were doing and what had become of them, even though they could not see her back- she wanted it more than anything, she realized, more than anything she could think of. She missed them all; she always had, but the longing struck her harder now than before, at this reminder of her old life.

She had to do it.

"I... I hear what you're saying." She mumbled weakly. "It will hurt a lot, and maybe that's true. But I'm already hurt, and I don't see how that could get much worse."

"Trust me, it can _always_ get worse." Isane said, patting her back. "You should-"

"Please! Erza snapped. I have to go there- even if I have to beat down every guard in the way, tear up the division, I will- I will-"

"Calm down." Isane said, sighing. "If you insist, if you're really, really sure, then... maybe. But I want to go on the record and say I am against it. And I'm not letting you go alone either."

Erza nodded, taking a few deep breaths. "Fine. Anything you want, doctor. I'll do it. Just... let me see them again."

Isane sighed again. She was going to regret this...

A few days later, the two of them marched into the twelfth division's storage, where the device was apparently being kept. Twelfth division wasn't a very merry place- busy people hurrying around, hard at work patrolling, studying, experimenting, writing reports, doing... well, sciencey things, Erza guessed. But though the place was dreary, though the people were unwelcoming, Erza couldn't have cared less. She was overcome with excitement, with trepidation, so many things running through her mind- nervousness, joy, dread, anticipation, a great sense of unease, and more than anything, ipurpose/i. She was here to see. She was here to remind herself of where she came from.

She was here to see her friends again.

Isane led her through winding, white corridors, following a set of written instructions given to them by an apathetic division member attending the reception. They walked the wrong way, several times, and Erza added impatience to the number of sensations running through her busy, nervous mind.  
>But eventually, finally, at last, Isane led her to a very unremarkable-looking door.<p>

"This has to be it, right?" Erza mumbled.

"Fourth time's a charm." Isane said, smiling. She opened the door, and revealed a room just as unremarkable as the door before it. It was storage, plain and simple- boxes collecting dust, shelves full of small objects, glass flasks and instruments and chemicals. A number of objects of varying sizes were on the floor, covered with sheets. Erza didn't know what they might be, and she didn't care.

At the far end of the room. Isane said, looking at the instructions. Looking like a large microscope.

That would help if I knew what a microscope looked like. Erza stated. She looked around, slowly walking down the room. It was surprisingly spacious- it was crowded, full of things, but large. She walked, Isane in tow, looking around. What would it be? She made her way to the end of the room, looking around, trying to find it. She grabbed the sheet pulled over one device, pulled it off- it was nothing she recognized, and it certainly didn't look like it would help her. She grabbed another-

"Calm down. You're not going to find what you look for when you've no idea what it looks like." Isane said.

"Well, do you?" Erza snapped.

"Calm down." Isane said, firmly this time. "According to the instructions..." She looked around deliberately for a little while, then reached for a sheet pulled over something tall, about as tall as herself. She pulled it off, revealing a white, tall... _thing_ standing on three legs. Made of metal, with a tall stem, and on the top was a pole holding a big, round disc of some kind. It was almost like some bizarre kind of street lamp.

"This is it?"

"It should be." Isane nodded. "It fits the description, at least."

"Why'd they put it all the way back here?" Erza wondered, inspecting the machine. "It looked pristine- new, almost unused."

"I am told it was unfinished- apparently they ran out of funding. Too expensive to use at a useful scale."

"But it works?"

"They said so, yes."

"...how?" Erza said, walking around it, looking for some way of... making it do something, anything.

Isane traced her hand along the stem of the machine, and flicked a switch Erza hadn't noticed. The machine let out a light hum, and a faint light began to glow from the metal disc.  
>"You press the 'on' button." Isane said, and if Erza hadn't known any better, she'd have sworn she heard sarcasm in her voice.<p>

"And then what?"

"You sit under the disc, I think. The process is automatic, they wrote. So... take your seat."

Tentatively, Erza sat herself down cross-legged on the machine. The disk hovered over her head, its humming intensifying.

"Um..." Erza said, feeling a little... well, nothing in particular. Normal. "Wasn't this machine supposed to do something? What do I do now?"

"Just be patient."

"I don't know, doctor- maybe this was a bad idea-"

And then suddenly, there was a complete black-out, except everything wasn't black- everything was white. Panicking, she tried looking around, she tried moving her arms- only to realize she couldn't feel her arms, feel her body, or even see it. She couldn't feel anything; everything was nothing- the only thing she had was her own mind, knowing that she existed.  
>Fortunately, though, this white limbo was only temporary. After a little while- or maybe a long one; who could tell how time passed- there were ripples in the whiteness. Streaks of green and blue could be seen through it, and slowly she realized she- whatever she was at this point; her body was still absent- was in the clouds. And, given how rapidly they were passing her, she was in free fall.<p>

Panic struck her again. Falling from the skies into the ground was high on the list of things she would rather not do. But the little rational voice in her head, keeping her level even as the ground came ever closer, wondered if you could really hurt yourself if you had no mass? Erza checked again- nope, no body, just her mind hurtling through space towards the ground.

And as she passed the clouds, she realized she knew the shapes she was hurtling towards. She recognised the shape of the continent where Fiore lay, a large peninsula. She could see Fiore itself, as she came closer. She recognized the places where the major cities lay. She hadn't been a geography enthusiast- but right now, she was never happier that she at least had learned the world map.  
>And, she realized, her descent was guided. She was headed right for that one piece of land, that one exact spot where Fairy Tail rested.<p>

She was headed home.

But it wasn't home anymore, she thought, feeling a pang of emotion. It had been home, but...

And then the ground came awful close, much more than what Erza felt comfortable with. She steeled herself, bracing for impact-

And then she was on the ground, ground to a perfect halt in no time at all. No pain, nothing broken- she was standing- floating, actually- right before the guild doors. Could she move around? Hesitantly, Erza willed herself forward. And simple enough, she floated forward through the doors.  
>She might not have had a body with her, but the emotion that hit her was still real. Over seven years had passed for her, but it looked like nothing had changed.<p>

She could see them again. Right before her eyes, she saw them again. There was Natsu and Lucy, sitting by a table, and she was hit by an overwhelming urge to walk up to them, say hallo, ask them how they had been. Before she realized it, she was in front of them, hovering next to their table. Natsu, dumb, reliable, loveable Natsu, was chewing on a piece of meat, while Lucy scalded him for his poor table manners- but not too harshly. It was just like something Erza might have done. And at the same table sat Gray, shirtless as usual. He said something snide to Natsu- somehow, she couldn't tell quite what- and Natsu threw his plate at him. The two of them immediately got into a fist-fight, tumbling about on the floor, and Erza got the most nostalgic impulse to give them both a thorough beating. Just like old times.

Lucy yelled at them, but the two wildlings didn't listen- they never did respond to much else besides violence, and inwardly, Erza smiled wistfully. They were the same. Life had kept going, even with her dead.  
>And before long, several other guild members had joined in the fight, and everything erupted into chaos. Wonderful, familiar, nostalgic chaos, the kind she had sometimes had to put down almost daily. The chaos of people who loved each other, who knew how to live free of restraint, like true friends who knew that a few punches here and there was nothing to fuss over.<p>

And then, suddenly, the fighting ceased. A voice could be heard, loud, rough, and distinctly female, and Natsu and Gray both looked terrified. Erza looked, and saw a tall, busty, dark-haired woman, wearing white- white coat, white boots, white gloves; the only exception were her black, tight pants. At her side hung a very long, very serious-looking curved sword, not unlike her own zanpakutou, but much larger.  
>She barked something at Natsu and Gray, and the two, tame as kittens, pretended to never have fought in the first place.<p>

_Life really moved on, didn't it?_

The woman looked oddly familiar, but Erza didn't dwell too much on it. She looked around the room; there were so many other people left to see. She could see Cana, she could see Levi, she could even see Laxus, that arrogant man- they were all there.  
>And it hurt to watch. Because this was home, but it wasn't home anymore. She realized why Isane had been so reluctant- this was a special kind of torture, in a way. And yet, she couldn't get enough of it.<br>Then, on the wall, she saw it.

A single photograph, untouched by all the violence, hanging on the wall. It was _her._

She got closer, and saw a bit of small text under it.

"Erza Scarlet, the greatest female mage Fairy Tail has ever known. She lived for her friends, and died saving others. She will never be forgotten."

It was short, plain, simple and honest, just like Fairy Tail should be. And at once, she didn't regret coming back, even with all this. Life... had moved on. But she wasn't forgotten at all.

She heard another voice, one that sounded oh so familiar- guild master Makarov. It was Gray, Natsu, Lucy, and that new woman, being handed a mission. They were talking, laughing, Natsu no doubt boasting and making dumb comments- oh, what she wouldn't have given to hear them clearly...

The dark-haired woman said something that sounded authoritative, and the four of them began to walk out the door.

It was enough, Erza decided. She was thick with emotion, and watching them leave, just like she had done with them so many times, it was about as much as she could take. She did not hate this new woman- but gods be damned, being replaced, however good the reason, that wasn't something she would ever be happy about.  
>She wanted out. How did you get out? Did you just... will yourself out?<p>

For a moment, she almost panicked, fearing that she would be stuck forever- a disembodied conscience, a shadow of a ghost doomed to forever watch what she couldn't have-  
>But then it all blurred, and she pulled back rapidly, out of the guild house, out of the planet's atmosphere, leaving Fiore behind her rapidly. Back into whiteness-<p>

"Are you okay?" She heard a voice, clear enough, through the blur. She blinked, her eyes readjusting to the light. It was, of course, Isane, worriedly patting Erza's shoulder.  
>"Are you okay?" She asked again.<p>

"I..." Erza said, looking up. When and how had she ended up on the floor? She tried to sit up, but found herself too weak, still too overwhelmed. Weakly, she reached out with a hand, fumbling. Isane took it, and gently but firmly pulled her to her feet. She was surprisingly strong, wasn't she?

"How do you feel?" She asked.

"Doctor..." Erza mumbled. "Oh god, you were right- I saw everything, I saw everyone and they were doing just fine, and, and, and I should be happy for them but- but-" Too overwhelmed, too emotional, she trailed off, stuttering. Her shoulders shook lightly, as she begun to cry. Isane wrapped her arms around Erza, and pulled her in close.

"It's all right." She said, almost rocking her a little. "It's fine. You're going to be fine."

Erza didn't, at that point, feel like she'd ever be 'fine' again- but the closeness, just somebody being there for her meant a lot. God knows she wouldn't have wanted to be alone right now.

"It's all gone." She mumbled. "Everything- everything's all gone, doctor- I can't see them again-"

Ssssh. Isane said soothingly. "Yes. You can. One day, you could travel there again. Maybe I shouldn't say this- but you could. Travel between worlds is possible- we do it all the time."

"R-really?" Erza said, wiping her tears off- the damn things wouldn't stop flowing; it was like floodgates breaking.

"One day, you could. I don't want to promise you anything- but it should be doable. So work hard, and maybe one day..."

Erza nodded, feeling too weak to do much else. She didn't go to much therapy afterward- it still continued, every other week, but she was feeling better. As much as it had hurt to see her friends having moved on, it was a bit of a wake-up call. This was where she belonged now, and she would make her home here. And on top of that, she remembered everything now; it had all come back. From being a child slave to being picked up by Fairy Tail, right up to Jellal and her own death... it was all back now.

As time passed, Erza was slowly phased back into duty. Aizen Sousuke, her old teacher, rose to the position of captain, after no less than four captains and four lieutenants had died- victims of inhuman, heretical experiments by the traitor Urahara Kisuke. In one fell swoop, the Gotei had lost five captains. It was a shocking event, but not quite so much for Erza- very little seemed to shock her these days.

At around the same time, Captain Unohana deemed her fit for duty again- _finally_- and it was time to apply for a division. At long last, one sunny day, she walked out of the hospital for good (or until she got herself hurt again), intent on heading down to the office of whatever-it-was-called, where she could file the right papers. She knew where that was, at least. Or so she hoped.  
>Her hopes, however, were dashed. Seven years of schooling, and the Gotei was still a large and confusing place to her, and before long, she found herself lost in the streets. Luckily, her aimless wandering did not leave her alone for long. From out a barracks, she saw a familiar figure walk.<p>

Rod.

She hadn't spoken to him at all, not since _then_, but... she'd have to, wouldn't she? She had promised they were friends, and Erza did not take such things lightly. Waving a hand, she called out to him.

"Rod! Over here!"

He looked at her, and his face was so... different. It wasn't scarred or mutilated, but his eyes were tired, so tired, as if nothing in the world really mattered. He did not seem unhappy to see her, though; a very small and very temporary smile went across his face, and he slowly walked up to her.

"How are you?" She asked.

"Been better." He said, scratching the back of his head. He had never been one for exaggeration. "They just let me out- I thought Captain Unohana would never let me leave."

"Same thing for me." Erza said. She tried to sound cheerful, but found herself unable- neither of them had much to be cheery about at the moment. "At first I felt she was just being unfair... but in the end, I don't blame her."

"Had to sit in a room and talk about my sodding _feelings_." Rod mumbled sourly. "I saw a lotta people die- how do they _think_ you feel after that?"

"It helps, though." Erza said quietly. "By the way, do you know the way to um, the place where you can apply for a division?"

"Was just heading over there myself." Rod said, shrugging. "I'll show you the way." The two of them began walking, neither eager to speak again. They had to, though, Erza realized.

"Uh, so..." She began lamely. What did you say, really? 'I'm glad I saved you from dying when everyone else already died?' 'It's too bad everyone is dead, want a hug?'

She didn't have to think of something to say, though.  
>"I know." Rod said. "It's all... up here, isn't it?" He said, pointing to his temple.<p>

"What is?"

"You know what I'm talking about." he said gravely. "You know, I talked to the brain-doctors 'cos I had to, but I never told one of them about that last part. The part that got you that scar on your palm."

"The part where..."

"Aye, that part." He shook his head, struggling to get the words out. "I... I don't want to be dead. For a while I did, but here I am. I had a long good think about things, and... I'm not glad to be alive persay, but I want to keep going. And I wouldn't be here if you hadn't..." He trailed off a bit.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Erza mumbled.

They kept walking in silence for a bit.

"I'm joining second." Rod said after a bit. "Gonna try for special ops."

"Didn't you just say you wanted to be alive?"

He shrugged. "I'll think of it as a test. If I live through those kinda missions, then I'm good at my job. If I don't, then I'll be dead. He shrugged again. There's good money in it, too."

Erza scoffed. "Money's a weak excuse."

"What're you joinin', then?"

"Eleventh."

"Single woman along a buncha undisciplined, macho thugs who think of chivalry as a poncy nob thing- and you question if _I_ want to stay alive?"

"Was that a joke?" Erza said, smiling.

"Maybe." He murmured. "Be careful, though."

"I will." She said, flexing her arm and making a fist. "And if they try anything, I'll teach them what happens. I think a few broken arms or wrists should get the message through."

Rod grunted something inaudible, and the two walked the rest of the way quietly, until they reached the whatever-it-was-called office of applying to things.

After a rather tedious process involving an unreasonable amount of signing forms, applications, papers of all kinds, Erza was sent on her not-so-merry way to the eleventh division. There, she had been told, she'd report to a seated officer, show him her papers, and they'd take it from there. It seemed a lot simpler than the application process itself, and Erza found herself feeling a good bit of contempt for bureaucracy. Well, at least she was on her way to the least bureaucratic division in the Gotei...

After getting lost again- twice- she finally made her way there, walking through the gates of division eleven and into its grounds. The group of anarchic, unreasoned berserkers and thugs that everyone else kept telling her were the worst in the Gotei. Part of her looked forward to that- in Fairy Tail, they'd never thought much of authority for the sake of authority, following their guild leader only because they respected him, because he cared about them all and what was best for them. It was optimistic, she realized, but she kind of hoped this would be... similar, at least.

The grounds themselves weren't, that was for sure. It were the same kind of professional-looking barracks, in the same style of architecture as everywhere else in the Gotei. People were keeping busy, at least- some she could see where training with wooden swords, some were pounding each other with nothing but their fists- some seeming like genuine close combat excercises, others like actual fist fights.  
>And others still were sitting on the ground, drinking what she assumed was cheap sak . Men, men everywhere, bearded or without beards, scarred or not scarred, all of them looking tough- or trying to. And quite a few of them were staring at her, quite unashamedly. Erza didn't let it bother her, and walked up to one of the groups sitting down, three men looking sweaty, probably from exercise.<p>

"Excuse me," she began, "I'm uh, here to report for duty. Are any of you seated officers?" She tried sensing for reiatsu, and well, they had enough of it to not be considered small fry, at least.

"Aye." One of them, a big man with a thick mustache and a water skin in his hand- although it probably wasn't water. "Aye, I'm an eighteenth seat, an' my friends here are both twentieths."

"Oh, good. Then-"

"Question is, what's a chick doin' here, 'reportin' for duty'?" He said, getting to his feet.

"I'm here to join your division. I signed the papers and everything-" She said, producing the papers from her shihakusho.

"Papers!" The man sneered, slapping them out of her hand. Little girl, this is eleventh division. If you need a paper saying you're a badass what can join us, then you ain't a badass at all."

"Hey!" Erza exclaimed angrily.

"Hey, wot?" He said, coming in close. He was a few inches taller than her, and had some pretty noticeable muscles.

"Ya wanna be careful, Kanabe." One of his friends said, taking a swig. "I know that face- she's the one who survived the scarlet massacre. The blood princess." He laughed.

Erza balled her first, and grit her teeth. "Say that again."

"What, 'scarlet massacre' or 'blood princess'?" Kanabe said, putting his face uncomfortably close to hers. "Get the fuck outta here. This is a place for _men_, not-"

Erza's fist connected squarely with his jaw, lifting his feet off the ground. Before he even hit the ground, Erza had grabbed him by the neck, slamming him into the ground. Angrily, she slammed her fist into his face once, twice, ignoring his struggles to get out of her steely grip. His two friends got up on their feet, advancing on her. She stood up, holding Kanabe by the collar. He was bleeding from his mouth and nose, and Erza shot the two of them a dirty look.

"If you want some, come and get it." She said darkly. "But I just knocked the air out of somebody two ranks higher than you. You may wanna rethink that."

The two of them looked at each other nervously. Their fists were balled, but they looked uncertain- good.

"Well, whadda we got here?" She heard a rough voice from behind her, and she turned around, dropping Kanabe, who let out a small groan. The man who had addressed her was a mean-looking burly man, with a captain's haori, carrying his sword against his shoulder.

"Erza Scarlet reporting for duty, sir." She said in a low tone.

"So fuckin' formal. He grinned. I'm Kiganjo Kenpachi, yer captain. And you just beat up a dumb punk who's supposed to be your superior. That's insubordination, ain't it?"

Well, this wasn't exactly a good start.

"S'right, sir!" Kanabe groaned, still on the ground. "She's fuckin' crazy, just attacking me outta nowhere! She should be flogged!"

Sound advice. Kiganjo said, nodding. "Then again, you just got pounded into the ground by a weak little girl. What's that say about you, Kanabe?"

"Uhm..."

"You're demoted to twentieth seat." Kiganjo said casually.

_"What?"_

"Forget about the flogging. We don't do that here." The captain said reassuringly. "And don't worry about the whole 'girl' thing- the only question is, can ya fight?"

Everyone was looking at them now, and Erza felt a little uncomfortable. This wasn't how she pictured it'd go.

"Yes, sir. I can fight." Deciding to bare her fangs a little, she added, "In fact, I think I could beat almost anyone here if I had to."

It was an arrogant thing to say, and Erza didn't quite believe it- there were punks like Kanabe, but also many strong, experienced fighters around. But a bit of tough talk might be appropriate.

Kiganjo let out a long, hearty laugh. "Live through a massacre, and come out kickin'- and with an attitude to boot! I like it! Yer full of shit- but I like it." He grinned. "Welcome to division eleven, girl. Since ya just pounded Kanabe, how about you take his rank at seat eighteen- or should I just give you the captain's coat at once?"

"N-no, sir! Thank you sir!" She said, giving him an awkward salute.

Well, this _was_ going a bit better...

* * *

><p><strong>Well, there you have it, chapter 8. Naturally, we couldn't just have her get over <em>that<em> incident in a few paragraphs. I felt most of this chapter should deal with the emotional problems one would have in a situation like this, especially since this is someone who is from fairy tail where friends mean quite a lot to them. Add in Erza's past history with the tower of heaven, and...well, she's gonna be hit by this hard. Of course, given that this is Erza mother fucking Scarlet,its not anything she cant recover from. Her recovery isn't fully over yet though, tough times still lie ahead.**

**FINALLY, we are at the 11th division. The best place for where Erza could fit in, and it fits with her skill set quite well. And, as you all saw, she will NOT be taking anyone's shit. However, I'm pretty sure that none of you saw Kiganjo as being her captain. I think it was a nice surprise. Oh don't worry though, Zaraki WILL be showing up, how could I NOT? **

**And finally, yes, Erza gets ALL of her memory's back. I figured it would be good to show how things are going in the fairytail universe. Naturally ALOT had changed from her dying. Now don't worry, I plan on chapters that will SHOW what has happened over there, but for now, I want to focus on Erza. Also, just who IS this woman who has taken her place in Fairy tail? I wont say, but it IS someone you know.**

**Thank you all so much for reading my story. It means a lot. **

**A DOUBLE thank you though if you leave a review. I always love hearing feedback, so Please, keep them all coming!**


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